Disney

Arizona actor Chelsea Kane Staub was only 21 years old when she locked in the role as the sharp-dressed stylist Stella Malone -- who keeps the brothers looking good as a childhood friend -- on the 2009 Disney Channel Original Series "Jonas," as well as, "Jonas L.A."

Chels shared the short-run show with some growing talent including Nicole Anderson who plays Stella's best friend and the fan club president, Macy Misa .. and of course the triple threat trio Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas as the title characters.

Lone Star state actor Raini Rodriguez was still a teenager when she locked in the role as the spunky best friend Trish -- who also acts as the musical manager while alongside the up-and-coming artist tackling the entertainment industry -- in the classic Disney sitcom "Austin & Ally."

RR shared the screen with the Disney duo Ross Lynch as the awesome music maker, Austin Moon ... and Laura Marano as the brainy singer, Ally Dawson.

Fun Fact: Raini's brother is Rico Rodriguez ... who is well known for his role as Sofia Vergara's son Manny on "Modern Family.

Tim Allen's political beliefs didn't play a factor in the re-casting of his signature Buzz Lightyear character -- Disney honchos simply believed the character needed a fresh voice for a new storyline ... TMZ has learned.

Many folks were confused this week when the Mouse House announced its beloved "Toy Story" character would have a new voice a la Chris Evans. Fans speculated Tim Allen's political beliefs, namely his support for former President Donald Trump, might've had something to do with the new casting.

We've spoken to sources with direct knowledge who tell us Disney has no issue with Tim or with his political leanings. The new movie, "Lightyear" is about the real astronaut that toy Buzz is based on, and to have the same voice wouldn't make sense.

In fact, our sources say Tim Allen still works with Disney on various "Toy Story" projects when they come up involving the OG Buzz ... another indicator there's no beef.

There's a new Buzz Lightyear in town -- a younger one, more flesh than plastic -- and he's being played by Chris Evans ... sparking a convo about whether Tim Allen was stiffed over politics.

Disney just released the trailer for their 'Toy Story' prequel, titled simply "Lightyear," and it's all about Buzz's origin story -- before he was reimagined as an action figure, it seems.

Like we said, CE was cast to voice the character -- and while we don't hear him talk much in this teaser, he does utter a word at the end that gives a glimpse of what he'll sound like. Frankly, it's very Allen-esque, which begs the question ... why not just tap TA again???

That's what's at debate here, and there are different POVs on the matter. For one, some are happy to be done with the Tim Allen-Buzz Lightyear era ... calling Chris an "upgrade." Part of the reasoning behind that though is political, as the amateur critics don't like Tim's political views.

As you know, Tim's a proud conservative, and in recent years he's had to deal with some backlash in largely liberal Hollywood for it -- especially in the Trump era. So it makes ya wonder ... if Tim was a liberal, would people be so happy to discard him???

There's another take, which is the flick captures Buzz's younger years, so it makes sense he'd have a slightly different, younger-sounding voice -- so, it might not be a political cheap shot at all.

One way to truly gauge this might be if Woody gets a prequel, and Tom Hanks gets the cowboy boot for a new voice actor. If so, then this would not be shade at Tim -- but if they stuck with Tom ... you'd have to say something's amiss.

Canadian actor Hayden Christensen was in his early 20s when he took on the role of the lightsaber-swinging Jedi, Anakin Skywalker -- who trains under the apprenticeship of Obi-Wan Kenobi and fathers twins with Padme Amidala before going to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader  -- in the 2002 sci-fi film "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and the 2005 follow-up "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith."

The movie masterpieces were packed with big stars including Ewan McGregor as the young version of the level-headed Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Samuel L. Jackson as the Jedi Councilman with a purple lightsaber, Mace Windu ... and of course Natalie Portman as the Naboo queen and baby mama, Padme Amidala.

Hayden has been making headlines with the announcement of his return to the franchise in 2022.

California native Larry Bagby was only 19 years old when he landed the role of the candy-hungry bully Ernie -- who terrorizes the streets of Salem and even shaves his nickname "ICE" into the back of his head -- on the classic 1993 Disney family fright film "Hocus Pocus."

The iconic witchy movie is brewed up with some A-list ingredients including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Bette Midler as the sorceress sisters Sarah, Winnie and Mary Sanderson ... and of course Tora Birch as the adorable Halloween lover, Dani Dennison.

Scarlett Johansson is no longer at war with Disney over her "Black Widow" bottom line ... the actress and the Mouse House reached a settlement, sources confirm to TMZ.

The exact terms of the settlement are unclear, but Scarlett says ... "I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney." In a statement that sounds very much like an attempt to mend fences, she adds she's proud of the work she and Disney have done, has enjoyed their "creative relationship" and looks forward to collaborating further.

Disney Studios honcho Alan Bergman is also making nice after the explosive suit ... saying he's pleased with the settlement, appreciates Scarlett's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and looks forward to working with her on upcoming movies, like "Tower of Terror."

Translation: Let's make nice and get back to making movies.

As we reported ... Scarlett sued Disney back in July, claiming the simultaneous release of "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ violated her contract and cost her big money.

Things quickly turned ugly, with Disney responding to the suit with a blistering statement, attacking ScarJo and her suit for what the studio called a "callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Scarlett's agent shot back, ripping Disney for announcing she'd made $20 million for the movie, and accused Disney of attempting "to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman."

Tommy Kirk -- best known for playing the kid role of Travis Coates in the 1957 Disney classic "Old Yeller" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Tommy's neighbor found him dead in his Las Vegas home around 8 PM on Tuesday. No foul play is suspected.

Tommy was a teenager when he got his big break in "Old Yeller" ... the story about a boy and his heroic dog. He was Disney's go-to kid actor to fill that All-American persona ... leading to roles in other Disney films, including "The Shaggy Dog, "Swiss Family Robinson" and "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones."

He was discovered in 1954 as a 13-year-old while performing opposite Will Rogers Jr. for the play "Ah, Wilderness!" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Legend has it, Tommy had auditioned for a role nobody else bothered to audition for, so he got it. He had only 5 lines in the play but it was enough for a talent agent to sign him and cast him in an episode of "TV Reader's Digest."

Tommy ultimately ended up getting cast in "The Mickey Mouse Club" ... and appeared in several other TV shows. But, there's no doubt his role in "Old Yeller" shot him to stardom.

But, his time with Disney didn't come without controversy. According to some reports ... Walt Disney personally fired Tommy in 1964 because the 21-year-old was gay.

Tommy once said, "When I was about 17 or 18 years old, I finally admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to change. I didn’t know what the consequences would be, but I had the definite feeling that it was going to wreck my Disney career and maybe my whole acting career. It was all going to come to an end."

He added, "Eventually, I became involved with somebody and I was fired." Tommy was still cast in films after that, but he admitted they were some of the worst movies he ever made.

Despite the Disney fallout ... Tommy was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2006.

He was 79.

Oregon born artist Kim Rhodes was in her 30s when she landed the role of the melodic matriarch Casey Martin -- who had double duty as the mother to the twin boys and was also the Boston Tipton Hotel's lounge singer -- on the early 2000s Disney Channel sitcom, "The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody" and the 2008 follow-up "The Suite Life On Deck."

KR shared the small screen with some top-notch talent including Ashley Tisdale as the sweets-slanging, Maddie Fitzpatrick, Brenda Song as the hotel heir, London Tipton ... and of course, Dylan and Cole Sprouse as her adorable sons Zack and Cody Martin.

Nevada native Meaghan Martin was only 15 years old when she was cast as the popular girl with some serious attitude, Tess Tyler, who bullies the new girl and creates havoc around the song-filled summer camp -- in the 2008 Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock" and the 2010 follow-up film "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam."

Meaghan Martin shared the rockin' movie with some up-and-coming celebs including Joe Jonas as the vocal dreamboat, Shane Gray, Alyson Stoner as the summer friend, Caitlyn Gellar ... and of course Demi Lovato as the outsider at camp, Mitchie Torres.

Kourtney Kardashian is not letting Scott Disick rain on her PDA parade with Travis Barker ... because the couple took their traveling PDA show to the French Mouse House.

The lovebirds are in France after making out in pretty much every nook and cranny of Italy, and this time they're cuddling and kissing at Disneyland Paris.

Kourt and Trav traded a gondola ride in Venice for a boat ride on "It's a Small World" ... but there was one constant ... lots of smooching.

Kourtney got the full Disney experience too ... wearing some Minnie Mouse ears.

The Disneyland trip comes on the heels of a romantic trek through Italy, which seems to have gotten to Kourt's ex.

As we reported ... Scott shaded Kourtney over her Italian PDA in a DM exchange with her other ex, Younes Bendjima, but YB wasn't having it, and neither was Kourt.

She seemed to fire back at Scott on social media, with all signs pointing to her saying he treated her badly when they were together.

Here's a honeymoon you don't see every day ... a newly married couple from Oregon is doing tons of sightseeing in Los Angeles, but they're doing ALL of it in their wedding dress and tuxedo!!!

We ran into the bride and groom Monday at LAX and our photog asked if they had just gotten hitched at the airport?  Seriously, why else would you be dressed like this at LAX?!?

Turns out Dan and Olivia Corcoran tied the knot the night before in Portland and took a short flight down to L.A. for their unique honeymoon idea ... 2 jam-packed days in L.A. without shedding their wedding wear.

Get this ... the happy couple says their itinerary includes Universal Studios, Disneyland and a Dodgers game in less than 48 hours -- a ton of activities in a very limited wardrobe.

Olivia says it's all her idea and they're traveling super light ... with one backpack and a couple changes of underwear. Hopefully, there's some deodorant in there too.

If you're looking for a quirky honeymoon idea, the Corcorans might be starting a trend. And, we know what you're thinking ... about all that dirt they're gonna accumulate, especially on Olivia's dress.

The star of Marvel's new superhero movie took offense to Disney calling it an "experiment" -- and now, his anger has roped in "Black Panther" comparisons ... and a larger convo on race.

Actor Simu Liu fired off a scorching tweet Saturday AM that seemed to be in direct response to what CEO, Bob Chapek, had said a few days earlier about the release of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" during an earnings call with investors.

Chapek was commenting on the fact 'Shang-Chi' -- unlike other Disney theatrical releases this year -- would get an exclusive 45-day window in theaters, as opposed to being released to Disney+ at the same time like other 2021 offerings ... which he said would make for an interesting "experiment" to see how it shakes out at the box office amid the pandemic.

Nothing derogatory about that on its face, it would seem, but Liu didn't take too kindly to the word choice ... 'cause he insists he and others who worked on the film -- other Asian actors, specifically, it appears -- are not part of whatever test Chapek and co. wanna run.

Liu writes, "We are not an experiment. We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year. We are the surprise." He adds, "I'm fired the f*** up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US."

Sounds like Liu might've misconstrued what Chapek was getting at ... but his interpretation of the remark might also speak to what fans have perceived about the marketing efforts and enthusiasm over the flick ... or a lack thereof, as some alleged in the days ahead of this blowup.

Some fans who are stoked about getting a first-ever Asian-led Marvel superhero film are sour over the lack of attention in the lead-up to its release, and/or possible box office numbers this movie may or may not generate ... with "Black Panther" juxtapositions springing up as a result. That, in turn, has led to debates over what that thinking actually means.

Others suggest that bringing up 'BP' to gripe about a lack of hype around 'Shang Chi' is actually counterintuitive to inclusivity as a whole ... and some have gone as far as to call it anti-Black. Kinda like bringing something else down just to bring yourself up type of a vibe.

There's a lot of layers to this one, but the point many are making is ... why can't we all eat without taking food out of another's mouth? Also, movie releases in 2021 can't really be compared to big ticket blockbusters of years past. It's a weird year with its own scorecard.

Scarlett Johansson's agent is joining in on the war with Disney ... blasting the Mouse House for "shamelessly" attacking her over her "Black Widow" lawsuit.

Bryan Lourd, one of the head honchos at the powerhouse agency CAA, just went to bat for his client and said Disney "shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn't."

ScarJo's rep also took a huge issue with Disney spilling the tea on her salary in their response to her lawsuit. Lourd said, "The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of."

The "Black Widow" star has done nine Disney movies ... but the relationship's reached a boiling point after she claimed in a lawsuit Disney violated her deal when it simultaneously released "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ ... which cut into her backend because her salary was tied to how well the film performed at the box office.

Lourd added, "The suit was filed as a result of Disney's decision to knowingly violate Scarlett's contract. They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company, leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That's it, pure and simple."

Scarlett Johansson is going after the Mouse House ... she's suing Disney, claiming the simultaneous release of "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ violated her deal, and cost her serious money.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the "Black Widow" star claims her contract with Disney stated the movie would be exclusively released in theaters. Problem is ... Disney broke that deal, she says, when the movie was made available in theaters and on its streaming service.

Scarlett says her salary was tied to how well the film performed at the box office. But, the actress claims, releasing the film on Disney+ meant fewer butts in movie theaters ... which cut into her backend.

Other studios have dealt with similar issues and given their stars additional compensation to make up for their backend loss, and you gotta imagine Scarlett's lawyers and Disney's lawyers tried settling this before she filed her lawsuit. She says she tried settling, but she was pretty much ignored.

Her argument is pretty clear ... the contract says the movie would be released exclusively in theaters, so Disney violated it by putting it on its streaming service. What's more ... Disney presumably benefited financially by getting additional subscribers, while Scarlett was aced out of what she would have made had theaters been the only game in town.

"Black Widow" grossed $80 million in domestic box office opening weekend. It grossed another $78 million overseas and $60 million from home purchases on the streaming platform.

We've reached out to Disney, so far no word back.

Shaun Weiss, the goalie in the 'Mighty Ducks' movies, got all nostalgic celebrating his graduation from a drug court program ... chowing down at a diner that's special to him.

Just days after getting his certificate of completion from the D.A.'s Office in Yuba County, CA ... we're told Shaun and his good friend, Drew Gallagher, hit up the super-popular Brent's Deli in the San Fernando Valley.

Why there? Well, for starters the pastrami is to die for ... but also, we're told the deli's the first place Shaun went when he was released from jail in August 2017 during one of the worst points in his life.

Shaun's had several stints in jail after that, but in going back now, he wanted to reminisce on all the progress he's made ever since.

His pal Drew practically rolled out a red carpet ... showering Shaun with congratulatory balloons and a hearty meal of matzo ball soup.

TMZ broke the story ... The D.A.'s Office was super complimentary of Shaun for staying on the straight and narrow -- and that good behavior prompted prosecutors to dismiss the burglary case against him.

Besides getting sober, Shaun also got a new set of chompers.