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Both films opened Friday across the US and abroad, generating massive ticket sales and revenue with a whopping $511 million in total estimated proceeds, which rarely ever happens in the movie biz.

Hollywood's bouncing back with a vengeance, leaving the pandemic in the rearview! Movie theatres across North America witnessed their largest crowds since "Avengers: Endgame" hit the screens back in April 2019.

As for which flick took first prize ... "Barbie", starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, snagged the top spot, raking in over $155 million in U.S. box office receipts  -- making "Barbie" the biggest opening of the year taking the top spot away from "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" at $146 million.

On the other hand, Director Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" landed in second place, taking in over $80 million domestically and $174 million globally, making it the third-strongest opening this year.

But that's not all – when all the numbers are tallied, it's expected that this weekend will go down as the fourth biggest box office weekend in history, with a staggering industrywide total of over $300 million. The impact of this weekend's box office success is undoubtedly going to be talked about for a long time to come.

If they continue along this track, the sky's the limit for Barbie and Oppenheimer.

There's no slowing Jason Aldean's controversial song "Try That In A Small Town" ... it's getting tons of play, especially at his own bar.

TMZ obtained this video from Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar in Nashville, where the band played the song a few times in front of a packed house.

Jason wasn't there himself Wednesday night during the song's live performances ... instead, the singer was Jamie Baxter.

As you know, the song's become a lightning rod ... and a hit.

On the one hand, lots of folks say the song and its music video are deeply offensive and racist ... but there are lots of folks defending the track too, including Jeanine Pirro.

For his part, Jason says the song is not racist and not pro-lynching.

Over at Jason's bar, we're told the band performed the track twice within 45 minutes ... so it's obviously going over well on his home turf.

If you think Taylor Swift and Kanye West kissed and made up after the VMA Awards debacle 14 years ago, then you're dead wrong ... and there's now video to prove it.

As part of her sold-out Eras Tour, Taylor was performing on stage at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington Saturday night and cranking out "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things."

The tune was inspired by the phone recording incident back in 2016, when Kanye said he gave Taylor a heads up before releasing his song, "Famous," which included the lyric, "I made that bitch famous."  Taylor begged to differ.

Check out the clip of Taylor addressing the issue all these years later ... the pop star begins to laugh uproariously after singing the lyrics, "Cause forgiveness is the nice thing to do."

Taylor finds the whole notion so funny she can barely compose herself, admitting, "I can barely say it with a straight face." She then continues playing as the crowd goes wild.

Thomar Lattrel Simmons was interviewed Saturday by the New York Post and made his desperate plea on behalf of Russell.

Simmons said, "The only thing I can say is, I want everyone to stop bullying her. I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media."

He continued, "Think about her mental health. She doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied."

As we reported, Russell has come under intense scrutiny after she claimed she was abducted on the side of a highway while trying to help a child.

She called 911 on June 13 and told the dispatcher she saw the toddler wandering along the interstate as she was driving home from work.

Russell promised to wait with the child until the police arrived, but, when the cops got there, Carlee was nowhere to be found and neither was the kid.

Two days later, Russell returned home without so much as a scratch. Since then, police have investigated the incident and publicly stated they have not been able to verify Carlee's suspicious account.

Jason Aldean isn't backing down from the storm of criticism he received over his song, "Try That in a Small Town," which many on the left believe is downright racist.

The country star addressed a packed crowd at his Friday concert in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The footage begins with Aldean pacing back and forth on stage, while saying,  “It’s been a long week, and I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that.”

He then said everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions, but that doesn't mean what they say is true.

Aldean went on to explain he's proud to be an American who loves his country and hopes to restore it “to what it once was before all this bulls—t started happening to us."

He ended his 2-minute speech by addressing cancel culture and how it can "try to ruin your life."

By contrast, liberals were totally beside themselves over Aldean's music video for "Try That in a Small Town," which was featured on the Country Music Television (CMT) network. It showed images of violent Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the country to protest the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

Aldean's fans seemed to dig what he said. They all hooted, hollered and chanted "USA."

During the video, Aldean was seen performing outside Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which was the site of the 1946 Columbia Race Riot. The uprising led to the near lynching of the first Black Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Last week, activist groups called for boycotts of the network, prompting CMT to yank the video from its airwaves. ABC aired his performance of the song last week during their broadcast from the "CMA Fest" concert in Nashville.

The Twitter CEO posted a message to his social media platform early Sunday morning, announcing the huge makeover that will certainly bring the company into a new phase with an all-new look.

Musk wrote, "And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds."

In a second post, Musk added that the "X" logo could soon be unveiled if he finds an emblem suited to his tastes.

Musk followed up by offering an image of a glimmering "X," but he wouldn't say if that one qualified as the fresh face of Twitter.

Bam Margera's turning up the heat in his beef with the 'Jackass' crew, taking shots at Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man, Steve-O and director Jeff Tremaine.

Bam's got a feature on a new single called "Feel Like Bam" by rappers Cult Shotta and Tanboymiguel ... and he uses his verse to rap about how bad his old 'Jackass' buddies are at skateboarding, while challenging Knoxville to a fight and blaming him for ruining his skateboarding career.

We are told Bam met the rappers at a studio in Los Angeles where he was working on music and asked to jump on one of their tracks.

TMZ has the first look at the music video ... and when Bam's not rapping or taking cheap shots, he's making out with his new girlfriend.

Bam is also sending a message to Tremaine, calling out the director for what he sees as unfair movie contracts for the stars ... throwing in some explicit insults for good measure.

Barbie's looks over the years are even more glamorous outside the box!

Here is Jewel Girl Barbie -- known for her athletic physique and natural looking makeup -- back in 2000 (left). With the ability to realistically bend and twist at the waist, this was a first for Barbie since she first hit the shelves back in the late 1950s.

And as time has gone by for the blue-eyed babe, Becky's Barbie has still got that twinkle in her eye -- and is showcasing her timeless beauty decades later -- seen posing here in the Star Studio (right).

Barbie has evolved since she broke the mold, but her elegance has always remained intact!

The question is ...

The lightweight title isn't on the line in the UFC 291 main event, but the "iconic" BMF belt is ... and Justin Gaethje wants it!

TMZ Sports spoke to the 34-year-old UFC star ahead of his scrap with Dustin Poirier on July 29 ... and the Baddest Mother F****r belt is on the line. We asked Gaethje if he cared about the strap.

"I think [the belt is] really iconic," Justin said.

"There's only been two guys in the world that have ever fought for it. We'll be the two out of four guys now. And I think it's, it does great things for the legacy, that's ultimately what we're here to build is a legacy. Make money. That's there. And, you know, it catapults us right into the championship talk. So it's perfect."

FYI, only Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal have fought for the belt ... which was created for them. Gamebred won that November 2019 fight by TKO ... and that's the last time the belt was on the line.

It'll be a rematch for Dustin and Justin ... the guys fought in a Fight Night card in April 2018. DP beat JG by 4th round TKO. It was just Gaethje's third UFC fight.

"It's part of my journey. It's something that I'll cherish forever, but you know, I don't think it's a huge factor," Gaethje said of the first fight's impact on UFC 291, adding ... "It's five years ago."

"We both grown so much and we've both been in some huge fights since that day. So yeah, I think it's again something that I'll always cherish, but it's not something that I'm using to game plan for this fight."

We also Justin where he believes a win would leave him in his quest for the 155-pound title.

"I'm not too worried about that right now. [Dustin's] the number two-ranked guy in the world. I'm the number three-ranked guy in the world. I think no matter what it's a given that the winner of this fight, we either fight the winner of the [Islam Makhachev-Charles Oliveira]. And if one of us is able to go in there and get a quick knockout and take no damage, then there's a slight possibility that maybe we'll be ready for October."

Makhachev and Oliveira are fighting at UFC 294 on October 21 in Abu Dhabi.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling aren't the only "Starbies" feeling the glamour in pink ... Join in on the fun, friends and fashion and see all the celebs who've fully immersed themselves in The Barbie World!

Big shot Hollywood music producer Mark Ronson -- who produced tunes for the featured film -- and YouTuber Toddy Smith have really embraced "life in plastic," jumping right into the human-sized Barbie box!

Khloe Kardashian, True Thompson and Stormi Webster joined actress America Ferrera -- who plays Gloria in the movie -- and put the pink pedal to the metal and took a spin in the Barbie mobile!

Even Ken's real-life wife, Eva Mendes, has shown up to the Barbie party! Check out our gallery of Stars In The Barbie World!

Adam22 says the porn star who banged his wife in camera is on time-out after giving an interview on the sex tape ... telling us a potential threesome is now off-limits.

We got the popular podcaster in Los Angeles and asked about his souring relationship with Jason Luv, and where it all started going downhill.

Adam22 says he's super pissed over Jason's sex tape interview, where he bragged about being better in bed and more well-endowed than Lena The Plug's husband.

The way Adam22 sees things ... Jason broke a code among porn stars by comparing penis sizes and opening up about other bedroom details ... telling us Lena's seen the interview in question and is upset with Jason as well.

Adam22 says he'd been talking with Lena about filming a threesome with Jason ... but he tells us that's all out the window now.

And, get this ... Adam22 feels Jason is showing insecurities now that the sex tape is shining a spotlight on all three of them. In fact, he tells us he's even considered a celeb boxing match with Jason to settle their differences ... but says the money he'd make from the event just wouldn't even be worth his time.

This week's Summer Hot Shots feature is splashing in from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea where model Michal Idan cooled off in a stringy pink bikini while enjoying a good book on the beach ... talk about a real page-turner!

When the influencer and UGC creator isn't bookworming her way around the world, taking hot shots for her Instagram and TikTok channels ... Michal Idan likes to get punchy while boxing, tries her hand at an array of DIY crafts and speeds through the streets of Israel on her Honda CBR 250 motorcycle.

Talk about getting your heart racing!

Hollywood might not be the only industry that's on strike -- pretty soon, it could be parcel carriers who are hitting the picket lines as well ... namely, thousands of UPS workers.

You may not have heard of this until now, but a doomsday is fast approaching that could halt a lot of UPS's operations across the country -- which would seriously screw up the supply chain ... among other facets of American life that rely on the shipping/receiving giant.

Upwards of 325,000 UPS employees are primed to stop working starting on August 1 if their Teamsters union and their UPS bosses can't strike a new labor contract ... which has been getting ironed out in recent months, but which has hit a snag on the money front.

Specifically, part-time workers' pay is at issue. At the moment, UPS says its PT staff -- which makes up a significant number of its workforce across the company -- makes about $20/hour on average, after completing a 30-day period. The union is asking for a serious raise.

The union's leader, Prez Sean O'Brien, has been quoted with some fiery language over the prospect of UPS workers hitting the streets. During a rally speech in Atlanta Saturday, per CNN Business, he said, "We’ve legalized, strategized, now it’s time to pulverize."

BTW, this would-be strike wouldn't just affect ground transportation -- a separate union repping UPS pilots has apparently also committed to joining in solidarity if an agreement can't be reached soon ... so this would be felt both domestically and abroad too.

Of course, the backdrop of all this is the SAG and WGA strikes that are going on right now -- whose members are demanding a number of things as well in their own negotiations.

Harry Styles has been on tour for, like, ever now, it seems -- but the journey's finally wrapping in Europe ... and his #1 fan was there in person to send him off in epic fashion.

Of course, we're talking about James Corden ... the now-former late night talk show host, who's a bona fide Harry stan -- and who actually showed up in the flesh on Saturday to help HS cap off his long-running "Love on Tour" at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

The comedian was actually among just a handful of famous faces on hand to watch Harry perform -- although he was certainly the most recognizable. Others included Rob Stringer, Kid Harpoon, Ben Winston, and additional members of Harry's close circle of friends and family.

Now, as for whether James just looked on from the VIP area ... well, not exactly. There's video of the dude getting right in the mix among HS' many fans -- dancing his face off.

Indeed ... the guy was absolutely living it up/singing along to Harry's set -- again proving he's crazy about the guy's music, which he's made very clear over the years in sit-down interviews with the singer ... or even in "Carpool Karaoke." Corden loves him some Styles.

As you know, Harry's been touring for almost 2 years straight now ... having traveled the world and packing out stadiums and venues all over, just about everywhere he's performed.

His time on the road has been memorable. In addition to his many eccentric outfits -- and, at times, wardrobe malfunctions -- he's also ... had lots of crap thrown at him onstage (some of which has made contact), helped fans do baby gender reveals, trotted out tons of big-name guest acts to sing with him, gotten quite sick, won Grammys ... and, of course, spurred many people -- including security guards -- to boogie down on the floor.

Offstage, he's made headlines as well ... including his relationship with Olivia Wilde -- which proved dramatic. And yes, his other romantic interests since have also turned heads as well.

Blake Shelton has gone on the record to support Jason Aldean amid his new song controversy ... at least that's what a satire site wants you to believe, anyway.

Here's the deal ... Blake is trending this weekend, and it's all because of this fake article that has him quoted as explicitly backing Aldean amid the whole "Try That In A Small Town" fracas -- which has divided a lot of people, especially after the music video was released.

The story comes from a site called The Dunning-Kruger Times -- which labels itself as "America's Last Line of Defense." This article of theirs is headlined as such ... "Blake Shelton Cancels $30 Million Project With CMT: 'Jason Is My Friend.'" The problem ... it's a BS piece.

The reason we know this -- aside from the fact this is literally the only "media outlet" reporting such a story -- is that DKT itself calls itself a website that's just for laughs.

Their "About Us" page spells it out clearly ... "Dunning-Kruger-Times.com is a subsidiary of the 'America’s Last Line of Defense' network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery, or as Snopes called it before they lost their war on satire: Junk News." AKA, it's one big fat joke.

Although this site has openly laid out their intentions -- namely, laughing at conservatives -- folks on the right have ran with this fake story regardless ... lifting it up as a rallying cry.

While Blake and Jason have certainly been on friendly terms in the past ... the former has not said anything about all the hubbub his new song/video has caused -- and yet, it appears folks genuinely believe he's on Jason's side. Unfortunately for them, there's no truth to it.

The U.S. Women's Soccer team wasn't feelin very patriotic during their World Cup opener -- and it showed on their faces ... with mostly closed mouths during the National Anthem.

The U.S.'s debut game against Vietnam went down Friday in New Zealand, and a lot of people couldn't help but notice that most of the American players were choosing not to sing along to "The Star-Spangled Banner" while the famed music played before kickoff.

It was awkward -- the camera pans across the entire row ... and just about everyone, except for a few stray players, had their mouths shut. Some even had their arms behind their back.

The starters who opted to skip the Nat'l Anthem included ... Alex Morgan, Andi Sullivan, Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox, Trinity Rodman and Crystal Dunn, among others. A couple were notably mouthing the words ... Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan.

To make matters worse ... the Vietnamese players were pretty much all singing their national anthem, loudly/proudly it seems -- with hands over hearts. Ditto for just about every other international team we can see -- FOX is cutting all the national anthems on their social page.

On its face, it looks like every other country -- besides the U.S. -- is belting out their tunes.

It remains to be seen if the U.S. is going to do this every time they play another team -- the National Anthem will, in fact, be blared before each of their matches ... and since it seems like they're making a statement -- it has, no doubt, pissed off some along political lines.