Movies

Tom Cruise never would've been flying high in 'Top Gun' or its sequel if it wasn't for a story that the films are based on, the rights to which have lapsed ... this per a new lawsuit.

Die-hard fans might already be aware of this -- but the original 'Top Gun' from '86 is based on an article written by a guy named Ehud Yonay ... who wrote a very detailed piece in '83 about fighter pilots in the Navy. Yonay says Paramount snapped up the rights at the time by brokering a deal with him ... and it's well-known the film is based on his story.

That copyright claim Paramount secured at the time had an exclusive ownership period of 35 years ... Yonay's widow and son say they sent Paramount a notice that terminated the studio's rights to the story in January 2020.

The family alleges that Part 2 -- which they insist contains elements of their late dad/hubby's original tale -- wasn't technically completed until May 2021, and they claim it's clearly derivative of Yonay's story.

The timing here is key -- several reports suggest filming for 'Maverick' wrapped in 2019 ... but it will be interesting to see if Paramount claims post-production was completed before January 2020, which the Yonays assert was the cut-off date if Paramount wanted to crank out another 'TG' based on the old license.

Anyway, due to the box office success of the sequel -- upwards of hundreds of millions, globally -- the family is now suing for an injunction to stop Paramount from infringing on the story and, of course, damages. We reached out to Paramount, no word back.

Amber Heard’s sister has no regrets about the outcome of the Johnny Depp trial -- putting on a united front even in defeat.

Whitney Henriquez shared her support for her “sissy” on IG, this a few days after a jury ruled in favor of her ex-brother-in-law. She didn’t mince words … saying she’d do it all over again. The photo attached was just a hashtag -- #istandwithamberheard.

WH says, “I still stand with you, sissy. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors."

She adds, “We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless."

Whitney says she knows what she saw, and would get on the stand for Amber a “million times over.” She also says she still stands with AH — as do others, despite the outcome.

You'll recall, Whitney was one of a handful of witnesses for Team Amber in the 6-week trial down in Virginia — and she was key, because she was the only person who could say they’d seen a physical fight with their own two eyes. Whitney claimed Johnny struck her first, and then went on to pummel Amber at the top of a staircase … aka, the “Kate Moss moment."

The opportunity to testify once more on Amber’s behalf might come sooner than later … assuming her sibling actually follows up with appealing the verdict like she’s said she will.

Michael B. Jordan turned to Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum to help get his mind off his recent split with Lori Harvey ... hitting up the Celtics-Warriors Finals game on Sunday night.

The 35-year-old "Creed" star sat courtside at the Chase Center for Game 2 of the series next to his good buddy Cordae ... roughly 24 hours after it was reported the actor and Harvey had called things off.

The two dated for over a year -- and cameras appeared to pick up signs from Jordan that he wasn't feeling too hot after the breakup.

His eyes looked watery, and many on social media noticed his mega-watt smile wasn't as bright.

The dude, though, did at least have a great performance from the Dubs to distract him if he was feeling down -- Curry scored 29 points, and Golden State blew out the Celtics, 107-88.

Game 3 tips off on Wednesday ... but it's in Boston, meaning if Jordan is looking for another NBA distraction this week, he'll have to hop on a lengthy plane ride to get it.

Step into Owen Wilson's shoes for just a moment, and imagine how it feels to walk out of your home to this scene -- your luxurious Tesla, freshly stripped by thieves! 😬

We got this shot of Owen's Tesla gently placed on blocks, after the crooks made off with all 4 tires and rims -- leaving him with no way to even drive his car to get it repaired. And, to make matters worse, it all happened while his car was parked right outside his Santa Monica house.

Luckily, the car didn't appear to have any other damages, but we're told he's gonna have to cough up an estimated $4k for the missing wheels. We're sure his insurance broker appreciates the paperwork.

TMZ broke the story ... Owen had parked his car on the street a few weeks ago, and when he went outside ... boom! Instant bummer.

Cops have opened a grand theft investigation, but so far no word on suspects.

Jared Leto leaning into the 'Morbius' jokes didn't work out so well -- apparently, nobody was actually all that eager to see it again in theaters ... so say the box office numbers.

Sony re-released the comic book flick on the big screen anew this weekend -- this after a horrid domestic run in the spring, with a total haul of just $73 mil -- but it wasn't entirely clear why ... that is, until JL posted this video earlier in the week where he winked at fans.

The video shows Jared reading something that he's trying to hide from the camera person ... but when it's revealed what he's looking at, it turns out to be a script called "Morbius 2: It's Morbin' Time!" The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' music plays right after ... closing the loop.

Essentially, the running gag over 'Morbius' these past few months was addressed head-on by the man himself -- folks online had been vey enthusiastic about the movie, albeit jokingly ... pegging it as this great film with a legion of supporters, despite how bad it actually was.

There were people sarcastically demanding a sequel be made while throwing out a ton of puns that incorporated the movie's titular character. It would seem Leto and the studio were clued into this ... and thought a re-release could score them a windfall of ticket sales.

Unfortunately for them ... they were wrong. According to Forbes, 'Morbius' only pulled in around $85k on Friday alone. It's unclear what the total weekend gross was -- but probably not much better.

The lesson ... a viral phenomenon over something like 'Morbius' doesn't always translate into actual interest when push comes to shove, and doesn't always have to be touched by the subjects themselves. Sometimes, a joke is just a joke -- and should be left as such.

Johnny Depp was in Beatles territory Saturday night -- both in geography and reception -- as fans mobbed him in Manchester following his latest concert.

Johnny performed again with Jeff Beck at the Manchester 02 Apollo. Of course, fans inside went wild, cheering their approval over his stunning courtroom victory against Amber Heard.

Outside the venue, Johnny was mobbed. Fans were shouting, screaming their support as they tried to get a coveted selfie or even a John Hancock from the "Sleepy Hollow'" star.

One thing's for sure ... Johnny was loving it, as he interacted with fans in a very loud shirt!

He was wearing a bracelet that said it all ... "INNOCENT."

Johnny's been in the UK for a week now. As you know, he missed the verdict, although he certainly celebrated and continues to celebrate his win.

It's interesting ... Johnny has said the jury gave him his life back, and a big part of his life has been music. In fact, when Johnny came to Hollywood, his goal was to become a rock star, not an actor. He kinda fell into the acting thing.

Kathy Griffin is taking low-blow shots at Johnny Depp -- beyond believing Amber Heard ... she thinks he's far from the dreamboat he once was, focusing on his looks.

The comedian went on the offensive this week -- shortly after the pro-Depp verdict came down in Virginia -- during an appearance on "Just Ask The Question with Brian Karem" ... where she hurled a lot of insults at JD and his legion of fanboys (and girls).

Specifically, she made fun of his appearance ... likening him to Trump, and saying he resembled a "bloated booze bag" these days -- despite what his supporters might think.

KG also commented on his voice and manner of speaking ... saying it was such a phony act, and that she's shocked anyone is buying it -- even invoking Kanye West during his wire days. The host agrees, saying he sounds sorta British ... even though he's from Kentucky.

Kathy wasn't done there though ... she went on to express direct support for Amber, saying she 100% bought her story of alleged abuse -- despite a jury saying otherwise -- and even followed in Amber's footsteps by dredging up supposed old rumors about Johnny.

She mentions Kate Moss (who denied any abuse at the hands of JD) ... and even Winona Ryder. Her theory -- which sounds totally speculative -- is that ... these other ladies are, perhaps, afraid of being "Amber Heard'd" and therefore won't speak out against him.

We'll let Kathy speak for herself here ... but let's just say she's certainly catching backlash because of this, from both Depp "stans" and beyond.

Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey are no more -- the couple reportedly broke up ... and the early indication is that it might've been her who wasn't on the same page for their future.

According to People Mag ... MBJ and LH have ventured into splitsville, this after more than a year together and power-coupling all over Hollywood. Unclear when they might've gone their separate ways ... but neither has posted a photo with the other for months.

Granted, Mike hardly posts on IG anyway -- but still, the last time he threw up a pic of him and Lori was back in March during Oscars season. Ditto for Lori, who posts way more often. The writing might've been on the wall ... she hit the Met Gala solo ... no Michael in sight.

Now, as for the reasoning behind the reported uncoupling ... People, citing a source familiar, says Michael apparently wanted to get even more serious with Lori than they already were, as he was apparently seeking to go the distance in a long-term relationship. Marriage?

There's no clarification or pushback from Lori's perspective ... which seems to suggest she didn't necessarily want the same thing as him. One thing they both reportedly feel, though ... "heartbroken," and continued love for one another ... at least according to the outlet.

They first got together in November 2020, and celebrated their one-year anniversary this past fall. By all accounts, they were one of the ultimate "it" couples in Hollywood in a while.

We know this was as serious a relationship as it gets before someone gets on bended knee -- Mike had met Lori's family, including her father Steve Harvey ... and even seems to have attended some Harvey get-togethers during the holidays. Likewise for Lori with his brood.

Another factor that might've torpedoed this -- assuming the report about Michael wanting to settle down is true -- is their age difference ... a 10-year gap. He's 35 and she's just 25. 😢

Lisa Bloom says her clients are already feeling the impact of the Depp-Heard trial by being silenced -- but she's being labeled a hypocrite ... because of Harvey Weinstein.

The famed women's rights attorney -- who has made a career following in the footsteps of her mother, Gloria Allred, by repping women with claims against high-profile men -- shared some insight into how the verdict against Amber is taking a toll on other alleged victims.

She writes, "I had to advise two women today that if they speak out about their sexual assaults, they can be sued. Even if they don't name their abuser. Even if they don't identify him by job or relationship. One wept at being silenced. The fallout from (Depp vs. Heard)."

Lisa also addressed a caveat proposed by some who say truthful accusers are A-OK ... "Some of you said they need not worry if they are telling the truth. If only. Defamation case = years of anguish in pretrial proceedings + 2-5 years to get to trial + a half mil to a million $ in attorneys fees (not to me). Few have the emotional strength and wealth for that."

It's a fair point ... women, in general, might second guess going public with allegations now, especially knowing they could be sued and lose. But, the flip side of that argument is ... Amber was literally one woman making claims against Johnny, while no other woman did.

Comparing JD to the likes of Weinstein or other notorious #MeToo men with a sea of accusers isn't fair -- you could say this was a unique one-off that won't have a chilling effect ... especially if you believe Amber lied, which a vast majority of folks (including the jury) do.

Speaking of Weinstein, Lisa's history with the guy is resurfacing in the wake of these comments of hers. Many are pointing out what they see as her being sanctimonious ... seeing how she was advising HW at the beginning of his own scandal in 2017.

As we reported, Lisa was doing extensive investigative work for Weinstein in the summer of 2017 ... looking into Rose McGowan and other accusers who were going public.

While that was true at the time, so too is the fact that Lisa has repped scores of women over the years, specifically alleged victims. So whether it's her or someone else, the argument has been and will continue to be made ... this verdict was mega.

GoFundMe is wasting no time in cracking down on pages trying to make money following the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial ... removing a phony $1 million campaign claiming to be raising money for Amber to pay Johnny's damages.

Shortly after the verdict, a fundraiser, created by someone named Kimberly Moore, was set up to help Heard. Moore claimed to have made contact with Heard's legal team and vowed Amber would have direct access to any money raised.

The page's description read, "I believe Amber, and social media protected the abuser. The judgment exceeds her net worth. It's so sad that he was able to get away with the abuse. The judgment furthers that abuse. If you can please help her."

However, a spokesperson for GoFundMe says they were able to flag the profile quickly -- before a substantial amount of money was raised. It was determined neither Amber nor anyone on her team had created the page ... and it was shut down.

We're told, the platform will continue to look for fake pages and act accordingly.

Of course, Heard's been ordered to pay Depp $8.35 million ... though her team had said it will appeal.

Johnny Depp could have been Paul McCartney in Scotland Friday night ... the crowd went wild when he took the stage as fans screamed, "INNOCENT, INNOCENT!!!"

Johnny was back in action with Jeff Beck, this time at the Glasgow Concert Hall. The venue was packed to the gills, as 3,000 fans showed deafening approval as Johnny sang cover songs like "What's Going On?" and "Isolation."

You don't hear the crowd scream "innocent" in the video, but yeah, it happened.

Johnny was clearly in a great mood, but didn't laugh or joke ... especially about you know what.

Johnny sang and played guitar for around half an hour, and the crowd loved it. He came back for an encore ... The Beatle's "A Day in the Life," which, by the way, begins, "I read the news today ...."

Yeah, the news has been good for Johnny this week, with his resounding courtroom victory over Amber Heard.

Young Thug and Gunna will be locked up at least until January 2023, but attorney Drew Findling is calling BS on the entire Georgia RICO case that put them behind bars in the first place.

Findling, known as the "Billion Dollar Lawyer" for his work with several industry heavyweights, was in ATL when he ripped the entire operation to take down YSL as racist.

Drew says he firmly believes the justice system routinely violates rappers' 1st Amendment rights by targeting their lyrics -- something he says law enforcement ignores when it comes to other art forms ... such as big-screen violence from filmmakers, like Quentin Tarantino, for example.

His point was on display Thursday during Young Thug's latest hearing ... when prosecutors noted the lyrics "Smith & Wesson 45, put a hole in his heart/Better not play with me, killers, they stay with me" from Thug and Juice WRLD's collab, “Bad Boy.”

Drew knows a thing or two about rappers' legal drama, having successfully repped Gucci Mane, Offset and DaBaby in the past.

He also reps YFN Lucci, who was part of the reason Thug was denied bond.

The Fulton County D.A. has classified Thug's YSL as a deep-rooted murderous gang and cited the attempt on Lucci's life in prison as a prime example.

This should erase any doubts Johnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez is now a legal rock star -- after the big victory, she and her BF are getting selfie and interview requests just like the celebs she represents.

Camille and her beau Edward Owen were heading to the airport Thursday from their hotel in Virginia, and before getting into their car, she stopped to take a couple of snaps with one of her fans. Paparazzi were also firing off some questions, trying to get a response from her -- emphasis on "trying."

Mums the word on what's next for her ... same goes for her thoughts on Amber Heard's possible appeal.

Seems like she's more focused on finally getting home after a 6-week trial, and rightfully so -- she and her team won the public over throughout the long legal battle.

Of course, being out with her BF further disproves the online theory that JD and CV are an item. As we reported, sources connected to Camille told us it's nothing more than fan fiction from social media.

Johnny Depp still knows how to make his fans laugh ... cracking a joke about his disfigured hand -- the one with that missing chunk -- following his big win in court.

Johnny was signing a bunch of autographs Thursday night in Newcastle, England when he leaned down to one of the kids in the crowd, pointed at their hand, and had a laugh comparing the number of fingers they have.

"You have five, I have four and seven-eighths. Mad."

Of course, he's joking about his own claim, and trial testimony, that Amber Heard sliced off a good chunk of his finger with a vodka bottle while fighting in Australia.

As you know, Johnny's been spending time overseas with pal Jeff Beck as the verdict rolled in, and the support for Johnny has been overwhelming -- with a wall of fans straining Thursday night against barricades, trying to get to Depp.

Johnny Depp is the most popular man in England ... is what you'd have to assume once you see the insane scene outside his latest rock star gig.

An absolute wall of fans pressed up against barricades in Newcastle, England Thursday night, desperately trying to get a piece of Depp after his latest appearance with guitar great Jeff Beck.

You can see security struggling to keep the crowd at bay.

Johnny's been congratulated everywhere he's been in the U.K. since Wednesday's verdict in his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, but this scene takes the cake -- and for the first time, he stopped to engage with fans.

JD signed several autographs and took selfies before security whisked him away, but he's definitely heading to his hotel feeling like he just left an award show or movie premiere from his Hollywood heyday.

A fitness trainer tried to do his best LeBron James impression at the King's "Hustle" movie premiere on Wednesday -- attempting to throw down a sweet dunk -- but he came up just short on the landing, and broke his tooth on the hoop's stanchion!

Quan Bailey was on hand in L.A. for the screening of LBJ's new flick -- which stars Adam Sandler -- and he decided to show off on a makeshift court set up near the Westwood Regency Village Theatre.

Bailey threw down one dunk with ease ... but as he finished another alley-oop one, he misjudged his landing -- and slammed his face on the structure holding up the rim!

Bailey immediately knew something was wrong ... grabbing at his grill, before realizing he had a bloody lip and a broken tooth.

Bailey, though, was a good sport about it all ... and even joked on his social media page afterward, "First man to break a tooth at a Hollywood movie premiere ... That one hurt lol."

Bailey said on Thursday morning his mouth was still in pain, but he managed to get some training in ... and added that he's trying to get to a dentist to fix the tooth later in the afternoon.