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Ariana Grande's moving on to bigger and better things -- she's finally finished filming "Wicked," and it was not a dry goodbye.

The singer/actress shared a behind-the-scenes pic of herself in character as Glinda ... at least we're pretty sure it's Grande. The pic was taken through a white curtain, so you can really only make out a silhouette, but it certainly looks like her.

She captioned the snap, "like a handprint on my heart" ... pretty cryptic, but director Jon M. Chu helped clarify, confirming this was the end of Grande's time working on the movie by resharing Grande's pic to his own Instagram story, and thanking her for all her hard work.

And, here's where it got REALLY emotional ... 'cause Grande then replied to Jon and thanked him for "leading the way with such compassion, openness, brilliance and kindness" and said she added more tear-drenched eyelashes at the end of filming.

Part of the reason emotions are running so high is the fact Ari and co. have been at this for a long time in Hollywood terms. Filming started way back in late 2022, but was paused due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

BTW, Ariana's new man, Ethan Slater, is done filming too ... he posted a goodbye to his character Boq earlier this week alongside a series of related photos.

It's kinda a big moment for the Grande/Slater coupling ... the duo met on the set of the movie and started dating not long after -- they've each filed to divorce their respective spouses since we broke the news of their relationship last July.

And, we know it's getting pretty serious too ... sources told us last month that AG and ES are living together -- though they each still maintain separate residences in NYC.

Nice luxury to have in case they can't work out a lover's quarrel.

Sofia Vergara's used to making everything she does look easy ... but she wants a bit more credit for "Griselda" -- even if she's gotta tell her pal Kelly Clarkson to zip it.

The actress hit up "The Kelly Clarkson Show" Wednesday to talk about her new Netflix limited series, and KC tried giving Sofia and the makeup team props for making the changes to her face seem very subtle.

But, the 51-year-old actress freaked out at that, and immediately questioned Kelly's sanity ... before popping off about all of the painstakingly dramatic changes the team made to her face and hair!

You gotta watch, because this is where it gets hilarious ... Kelly desperately tries to dig her way out of the hole, only to have Sofia jokingly tell her to "shut up."

Kelly's Olympic-level backpedal aside, Sofia was spot on about the makeover she underwent to play cartel queen Griselda Blanco -- full-on plaster mask, eyebrows glued on followed by a prosthetic nose and wig.

Ultimately, Kelly said she looked like a totally different actress while maintaining the look of a real person ... something Sofia was happy with 'cause that's really what she wanted.

Vergara -- who's facing some legal drama because of her involvement with the series -- recently opened up about being typecast in an interview with the Los Angeles Times ... saying her accent has limited the parts she can get.

She said, "I’m always looking for characters because there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent. I can’t play a scientist or be in ‘Schindler’s List.’ My acting jobs are kind of limited."

That's why drug queen-pin Griselda Blanco's such a great role for her, Sofia admitted ... though she said it was a more difficult process than she's ever previously put herself through.

"Oppenheimer" finally has a theatrical release date set in Japan ... 6 months after it was released in the States -- though locals still have some more waiting left to do!

According to Indie distributor Bitters End, Christopher Nolan's blockbuster will arrive at Japanese cinemas on March 29 ... which will be 2 and a half weeks after the Oscars.

The 3-hour-long movie, starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt and more, is up for a mammoth 13 awards at the Oscars, including Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Director ... and it's a frontrunner to scoop them all.

The critically acclaimed movie was released in most countries by Universal ... though Japan's main sub-distributor, Toho-Towa, decided not to go ahead with its release in July 2023.

But, Bitters End says they've decided to pick up the film after months of thoughtful dialogue over the subject matter ... which is, obviously, especially sensitive for Japanese people.

"Oppenheimer" is about the creation of the nuclear bomb in the United States, culminating in a successful test of the doomsday weapon in July 1945.

Weeks later, America dropped 2 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, putting an end to World War II.

The villages were obliterated, with roughly 200,000 people killed.

Herbert Coward -- who played the infamous Toothless Man from the film, "Deliverance," was killed in a car crash in North Carolina along with his friend and beloved pets, TMZ has confirmed.

Coward was making a left turn out of a parking lot after a medical appointment in Haywood County Wednesday, when his silver Nissan was struck by another vehicle that tried to avoid him, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

The actor and his 3 occupants -- Bertha Brooks, a chihuahua and a squirrel -- were trapped inside the wreckage and had to be extracted from the car by first responders, police said. The four died at the scene.

The other motorist, 16, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital out of an abundance of caution. Investigators did not charge the teenager because they determined no crime was committed.

In the classic 1972 thriller "Deliverance," Coward played the frightening role of a hillbilly with missing front teeth known as the "Toothless Man." In one of the movie's horrific scenes, Coward's character and his hillbilly sidekicks sodomized a man in front of his friend, who was tied to a tree in the forest.

Coward was 85.

Jeffrey Wright says his indie movie, "American Fiction," most definitely has a fighting chance to take home top honors at the Oscars ... but don't go calling this a David vs. Goliath story.

We got the Best Actor nominee Wednesday at LAX, where we asked all about the fact 'AF' was nominated a ton on Tuesday -- racking up 5 Oscar nods on everything from Best Actor to Original Score and, of course, the big prize in Best Picture.

For starters, Jeff told us he hates the fact the Oscars race turns art into a competition, and told us he's just happy to be in the mix of things with all those blockbuster hits that are considered Oscar darlings this year.

Yes, we're talking about "Barbie," "Oppenheimer" and some other big fish in the race -- but from Jeffrey's demeanor here, you'd never guess he's sweating it ... 'cause he ain't!

When we ask him straight up if "American Fiction" has a realistic path toward victory in any of its categories ... he puts it back on our camera guy, who Jeffrey says inadvertently answered the question himself.

Bottom line, the movie is absolutely amazing and even though it's "small" ... it's still mighty.

That's JW's takeaway, anyway, and he certainly seems confident in the work.

Pauly Shore's still hoping he'll get Richard Simmons' blessing before shooting a feature film about his life ... and he thinks his short film's the key to securing it.

The actor/comedian was at the Hollywood Burbank Airport Wednesday when a photog asked if he had a message for the reclusive fitness guru. In a nutshell, Pauly's pleading with Richard to watch "The Court Jester" on YouTube and keep an open heart while he does it.

PS says he thinks he's got a shot at convincing Richard if he sees the flick -- which premiered at Sundance on Friday night -- but he just doesn't want him to flat-out dismiss it beforehand.

Now, he's not going to turn down constructive criticism ... Pauly says he wants Richard's honest feedback, and he's willing to make changes.

Interestingly, Pauly says he wants Richard on board as a full-time collaborator for the feature-length biopic -- he even envisions them with matching "Richard" director chairs on the set.

Bottom line ... Pauly says he's moving forward with the project -- but there's a whole lotta room for Simmons' touch if he's interested in surfacing ... which we highly doubt.

This saga's been making fans sweat for a couple weeks -- last week, Richard made it clear he was in no way involved with Pauly's project ... and to get his point across he even broke his public silence via Facebook, which he's only done twice in about a decade.

Pauly's clearly not deterred by Richard's condemnation ... he's insisted Richard might just change his mind -- and last week, before the 'Court Jester' premiere, he suggested the 75-year-old icon was softening.

He claims Richard texted him earlier in the day to wish him "good luck" at Sundance.

Kevin Spacey's getting back into the public eye after his acquittal in London last summer ... and a lot of people are none too happy about it -- which they're making quite clear.

Here's the deal ... the controversial actor's scheduled to appear at Mad Monster Party 2024 in North Carolina next month -- a three-day convention dedicated to all things horror/pop culture. Other stars like Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Taryn Manning, Jason Patric and more are attending the event as well.

Clearly, organizers are jazzed at KS' inclusion ... touting his accolades and selling pro photo-ops for big money -- no selfies allowed at the autograph table. If you want a pic, you'll have to shell out $225.

The photo opportunities are themed too ... Friday, Feb 16 they'll set one up for "The Usual Suspects"-type pic, Saturday's for "Se7en" and Sunday, Feb. 18 will see Kevin take "House of Cards" pics -- basically, Spacey's greatest hits.

Now, it didn't take long for people to voice their outrage ... with a good handful of folks saying in unequivocal terms they find the organizers reprehensible for giving Spacey a platform after all of the allegations leveled against him. Just check their comments.

In essence, a lot of fans don't seem to care Kevin was acquitted last year on a host of charges -- as we previously reported, Spacey was found not guilty of nine total counts based on a host of sexual assault allegations in a London court last year after a lengthy trial.

He's also been sued in New York for a different alleged sexual assault ... a massage therapist is claiming the 64-year-old made unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances toward him during three 90-minute sessions back in 2016.

The two-time Academy Award winner's never been convicted of a crime for any of the allegations brought against him ... and he's denied any and all wrongdoing, FWIW.

It'll be interesting to see how many fans want to take a pic with Spacey next month ... or if any protests will spring up in NC.

Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig have a new champion in their corner trashing the fact they weren't nominated for Oscars -- with none other than Hillary Clinton chirping up.

The ex-Sec. of State -- and one-time presidential candidate -- just tweeted about the hotly-debated nominations heard around the world Tuesday ... and she's in the camp that this was an egregious snub from Academy members ... especially in light of Ryan Gosling's nod.

HC wrote, "Greta & Margot, While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough."

She also threw in her own little fun hashtag to cap off her point, adding ... "#HillaryBarbie."

Hillary is just the latest person to slam the non-nominations -- remember, Ryan himself actually denounced the fact his costar/director didn't receive recognition ... even though he himself got a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

He said, "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement." Likewise, he also praised America Ferrera's nom.

Speaking of America ... she, too, slammed Margot and Greta's exclusion -- just piling on top of the collective outrage most of the Internet has been expressing over the past 24 hours.

Margot and Greta haven't said anything about it themselves ... but people have their backs.

Fun fact about the Academy's makeup as of last year -- it looks like 33% of voting members are women or female-identifying ... so yes, there does seem to be more guys than gals. Hard to say if that's behind these two not getting selected or not ... but it is interesting.

Margot Robbie's fans are so miffed about her "Barbie" Oscars snub that even the police are complaining ... albeit in a very funny fashion.

The Victoria Police Department in Australia posted a hilarious message on their Facebook page Tuesday, showing their disgust over the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' failure to nominate Margot for her starring role as Barbie in the super popular 2023 film. As you may know, the actress grew up in Queensland, Australia, which isn't close to Victoria, but the cops there clearly have her back.

In the FB post, Victoria PD officials wrote in all caps, "POLICE INVESTIGATE AS MARGOT ROBBIED." Then, in regular letter case, they joked, "Police are investigating after a former resident of Ramsay Street was allegedly robbed of an Oscar nomination for best actress."

During their alleged "Margot probe," investigators urged the public to consider reporting all non-emergencies like theft through their online system. They also reminded citizens that the portal is a very convenient way to report smaller crimes.

Pretty amusing stuff ... but Margot was probably not laughing after the Academy gave her and Barbie director, Greta Gerwig, the cold shoulder during Tuesday's announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations.

Margot's costar, Ryan Gosling, who played Barbie's boyfriend Ken in the movie, snagged an Oscar nom, but he later released a statement mentioning the Margot and Greta snubs.

3:20 PM PT -- Ryan Gosling just addressed the fact he was nominated, but Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were not. He told the NY Post ... "I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films."

He adds, "And I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken. But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film."

Finally ... "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement. Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees. Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film."

Ryan Gosling just got an Oscar nomination for his role in "Barbie," but the lead actress herself -- Margot Robbie -- was left out in the cold ... and yes, people are pissed.

The Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday, and RG was on the list for Best Supporting Actor -- alongside Sterling K. Brown, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. The black sheep in this group, you could argue, is Ryan ... who played Ken.

It was a goofy and even goofier performance -- and yet, Academy members seem to think he acted his ass off and is worthy of recognition ... something insiders predicted for months.

Now that it's happened, a lot of folks are happy for the Ry Guy -- but even more are angry on behalf of Margot ... who got snubbed this morning, and didn't receive an acting nomination herself. To be fair, there was a lot more buzz around Ryan ... but there's still outrage today.

The argument here for MR basically amounts to ... she freakin' carried that movie, and she showed some range in the titular role as Barbie, going through a roller coaster of emotions.

Some are chalking it up to good old-fashioned sexism/misogyny ... and are crying foul.

While Margot missed out, her costar America Ferrera didn't -- she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and 'Barbie' itself is up for Best Picture. It's just Margot who got screwed.

So, here's the question ... do you think she deserved to get an Oscar nod, or not???

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

The woman who the Barbie doll is named after is shocked Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig weren't nominated for Academy Awards ... and she doesn't understand the snubs.

Barbara Handler, whose mother Ruth created the famous toy and named it after her, tells TMZ ... she saw the "Barbie" movie twice and loved it even more the second time, and she feels there's something wrong about Margot and Greta not getting Oscar nominations.

While "Barbie" is up for Best Picture, Margot is not among the Lead Actress nominees and Greta didn't make the cut as one of the five Best Director nominees ... and folks are pissed.

Barbara tells us she's sorry Margot and Greta aren't getting the recognition they deserve ... she feels they both should be rewarded for their work on the flick -- because it was genuinely fantastic. Frankly, there are many who agree ... objectively, 'Barbie' was well done.

Now, while Margot and Greta got the cold shoulder -- there are two acting nominees who emerged from "Barbie" ... Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera are up for Best Supporting Actor and Actress ... and as we mentioned, the movie is nominated for Best Picture.

Barbara says "Barbie" should win 'cause it was super popular and made a ton of $$$ at the box office. That's not always how the Academy sees it, of course, but that's how BH feels.

Remember ... Barbara's late mother is the woman who created the Barbie and Ken dolls ... naming the Barbie doll after her and the Ken doll after Barbara's late brother.

Barbara says her mom would have been thrilled the movie is nominated for best picture ... and she's sad Ruth isn't around to see the 'Barbie' movie phenomenon.

This year's Oscar nominations are out, and while a lot of people are happy for those who got the nod -- there were a lot of others left out in the cold ... also known as classic snubs.

Indeed, those who were not nominated for an Academy Award this year are getting just as much chatter as those who did -- and right off the bat, there are some standouts on who was excluded as a nominee, especially on the acting front -- y'know ... the actual stars.

For example, Leo DiCaprio missed out on a Best Actor nod ... even though some assumed he was a shoo-in for 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman were also kept at bay, despite some stellar acting in 'May December.'

Other snubs being discussed ... Zac Efron ('Iron Claw'), Dominic Sessa ('The Holdovers'), Taraji P. Henson ('The Color Purple'), Rachel McAdams ('Are You There God?'), Barry Keoghan ('Saltburn'), Cailee Spaeny ('Priscilla') and Teyana Taylor ('A Thousand and One').

Of course, there's also the Margot Robbie snub ... which is glaring compared to Ryan Gosling's nod. BTW, Greta Gerwig was also left off the Best Director nomination list.

There's lots of other snubs in non-acting categories -- but these are the ones people are up in arms about the most on Twitter (er, X). Granted, this indignation goes down each year ... and it's even been happening since the old days, dating back decades at this point.

Hey, you can't win 'em all ... better luck next year!

Oliver Stone has issued an apology to Ryan Gosling for blasting the actor for playing the role of Ken in the wildly popular "Barbie" film, while calling his own comments ignorant.

The legendary director posted a statement Monday on X, praising the movie for its "originality" and "themes" after he accused Gosling of accepting the role of Barbie’s boyfriend solely for monetary reasons in a recently resurfaced 2023 interview.

In his post on X, Stone wrote that he “was able to see 'Barbie' in a theater back in July and appreciated the film for its originality and its themes.” He added, “I found the filmmakers’ approach certainly different than what I expected. I apologize for speaking ignorantly.”

Stone also gave kudos to "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig, saying her 2017 flick, "Ladybird," was one of his favorites that year. As you know, Gerwig's "Barbie" was the highest-grossing film of 2023, raking in more than $1.4 billion at the box office while costarring Margot Robbie as Barbie alongside Gosling's Ken.

Stone made his controversial statements about Gosling during a June 2023 interview with City A.M. -- just weeks before Barbie was to be released in theaters.

Stone told a reporter Gosling was "wasting his time if he's doing that s*** for money," referring to "Barbie."

Too Short is adding filmmaking to his resume ... and he's already scored some Hollywood heavy hitters for his movie, "Freaky Tales," which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

He spoke to us Monday on "TMZ Live," about the "anthology horror-movie-thriller-comedy" ... which depicts 4 interconnected stories during 1987 Oakland, and heavily features his music.

The film serves as a "love letter to Oakland," and also mirrors Short's experience growing up there in the eighties -- and he tells us his emotional attachment to the project is even more significant because he's an executive producer and narrator for it.

He acknowledges it also means a lot to the others involved -- most noticeably its A-list cast that includes Tom Hanks, Pedro Pascal, Normani, and the late Angus Cloud. It's also directed by "Capt. Marvel" writers/directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden -- which is major.

After the movie's debut, Short took advantage of his time in Park City, UT ... deciding to hit the slopes for his first time.

He tells us he didn't need much convincing to give it a whirl, because he's always been adventurous and agile, even at 57.

Norman Jewison -- the director known for 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and other hits -- has died.

The famed filmmaker passed away peacefully at home Saturday -- this according to his team. An exact cause of death wasn't provided.

While his biggest claim to fame is, perhaps, the 1973 musical -- adapted from the famed Broadway play -- Norman has tons of notable films under his directorial belt from over the years ... including 'Moonstruck,' 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'The Hurricane,' just to name a few.

Other movies he directed throughout his career ... 'Fiddler on the Roof,' 'The Cincinnati Kid,' 'Rollerball,' 'And Justice for All,' 'Best Friends,' 'F.I.S.T.,' 'A Soldier's Story,' 'Agnes of God,' 'In Country,' 'Only You,' 'Dinner with Friends' ... and many more.

Of course, while Norman's film career was most certainly prolific -- he actually got his start in television ... serving as the director on episodes for huge shows like 'The Big Party,' 'The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams,' 'Your Hit Parade,' 'The Revlon Revue' and others.

NJ also produced for shows like 'The Judy Garland Show.'

Norman was a decorated director ... having been nominated for 3 Oscars in three separate decades. He's earned many other accolades as well, including a BAFTA and Lifetime Achievement Awards from a handful of orgs.

He was 97.

Jamie Dornan apparently thought he was having a heart attack and might die last year after he started experiencing tell-tale symptoms for a heart attack ... but he was just buggin' out.

The actor's health scare was revealed through a friend of his -- Scottish broadcaster Gordon Smart -- during an appearance on the BBC's 'The Good, The Bad and The Unexpected'  ... where he told this wild story about him, Jamie and some other pals hitting Portugal last year.

After a night out, Smart says some in their group started to feel really sick the next day -- with GS getting sent to the hospital ... as he felt tingling in his hand and arm. Smart thought he was having a heart attack ... but was later told he'd been infected by a local caterpillar.

Specifically, Smart says he was told he must've come into contact with pine processionary moth caterpillars -- which have poisonous hairs all over their bodies, and which can infect humans. They're not usually deadly for people -- but they can, in fact, kill animals.

Anyway, he says when he got back to the hotel where Jamie was staying -- he saw JD, too, was hooked up to medical equipment ... and noted he'd suffered from the same symptoms.

Eventually, both of their symptoms cleared up -- and in terms of how they might've come into contact with these little buggers ... Smart says they seem to be all over golf courses there, which is where the boys were roaming just before coming down with their illnesses.