Movies

Comic nerds won't like this ... one of the greatest writers to dabble in the caped crusade industry says our fascination with superheroes is teetering on Nazi Germany territory.

Indeed ... we're talking about Alan Moore, who's written some of the most well-known comic books/series of the 20th century -- including "Watchmen," "V for Vendetta," "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," a VERY famous Batman installment ... and lots more.

The dude's an absolute legend in the biz ... but as he's gotten older -- and stepped further away from writing comics -- he's gotten more and more cynical about the craft he helped shape ... and these latest remarks are doubling down on what he views as a problem.

Namely, he's talking about fascism ... and how he feels like the superhero genre, at large, lends itself to the extreme political ideology -- and not just that, but how our utter obsession with them in Hollywood is a sign for the worst ... at least according to him anyway.

For starters, AM kinda craps on adults who love this stuff ... saying, "Hundreds of thousands of adults [are] lining up to see characters and situations that had been created to entertain the 12-year-old boys -- and it was always boys -- of 50 years ago."

He goes on to say there were a lot of headlines coming out in the late 20th century that said comics had "grown up," but he refutes that with this ... "It wasn’t comics growing up. I think it was more comics meeting the emotional age of the audience coming the other way."

Alan hits his point home with this comment ... "I said round about 2011 that I thought that it had serious and worrying implications for the future if millions of adults were queueing up to see Batman movies. Because that kind of infantilization -- that urge towards simpler times, simpler realities -- that can very often be a precursor to fascism."

He points to Donald Trump's presidency and the sheer number of superhero movies that were being pumped out at the time (and since). It's because of this, in part, that he says he's done with comics ... apparently because they do more harm than good, subconsciously.

As for what he's getting at with the whole superheroes-are-fascist thing -- it's an age-old argument that's been debated ad nauseam ... which you can read about here.

Basically, some argue that superheroes -- by their very nature and story arcs -- prop up the idea of one person wielding ultimate power over society ... but doing it for the common good. It's very in the weeds on a sociological level, but this POV's been around for a while.

Jennifer Lawrence is getting back to her indie roots -- not so much because she has to, but wants to ... as it appears going mainstream in Hollywood has taken its toll on her.

The A-lister is in London plugging her latest flick, "Causeway," which sees her taking on a very quiet, dramatic role ... playing a U.S. soldier with PTSD and getting acclimated to regular life again. It's drastically different than anything she's done in recent years.

What we mean, of course, is that this isn't a major blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination -- it's an A24 film, with a way smaller budget and limited release via Apple.

Beyond just that, though, this is territory that JLaw hasn't ventured into in a while. Fact is, she's been one of the industry's highest-paid actresses for quite a while now ... which, of course, is due to her starring in major franchises like "X-Men" and "The Hunger Games."

Her Academy Award for Best Actress -- for her lead role in "Silver Linings Playbook" -- also shot her into a new stratosphere ... making her one of the most desirable hires in the biz.

As it turns out ... Jen is actually looking back on all that with a fresh perspective -- this on the heels of giving birth to a baby, and getting hitched. During a staged sit-down Saturday, Jen was quoted as feeling a sense of instability after achieving the pinnacle of acting fame.

Per Variety, she said ... "I think I lost a sense of control. Between "The Hunger Games" coming out and winning the Oscar, I became such a commodity that I felt like every decision was a big, big group decision. When I reflect now, I can’t think of those following years, [because there was] just a loss of control."

There's another quote floating around that's being attributed to JL -- and it touches on her future in movies ... which seems to swear off doing anymore big-time popcorn films.

Jen reportedly said during this same chat, "I loved superhero movies. Franchise is art and they’re so fun; I could never do one now because I’m too old and brittle. I love them too. This generation understandably likes a world to escape to, and I can relate to that."

That's pretty interesting. It sounds like she's going to be far more selective with the projects she signs onto going forward -- which could mean more Oscar-bait-y flicks like "Causeway."

Sorry, America ... Dwayne Johnson will NOT be the next President of the United States, 'cause The Rock just slammed the door on a future political run for the most powerful office in the world.

Remember, the actor and former WWE Superstar admitted he was considering running for the job after 46% of the people polled in the U.S. favored Johnson for the role.

Wrestling stars like The Undertaker even supported Johnson ... telling us last year, "I think he can be the uniter that people are looking for."

But, on Friday, Johnson shut down all the POTUS talk.

"It's off the table. Yes, it is off the table," the 50-year-old said in a teaser clip of an interview with CBS Sunday Morning.

"I love our country and everyone in it. I also love being a daddy."

Johnson -- who has three daughters -- says he understands the job comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility and would require sacrificing too much family time.

"I know what it was like to be on the road and be so busy that I was absent for a lot of years when my first daughter [was] growing up."

"So, my number one priority is my daughters. Sure, CEO sounds great but the number one thing I want to be is a daddy. That's it."

FYI, Johnson's eldest daughter Simone Garcia is following in her father's footsteps ... she signed with the WWE in 2020.

"I just feel the world should see a different part of Floyd Mayweather. I think the people should see a different part of me."

That's Floyd Mayweather telling TMZ Sports why he decided to open his vault of hundreds of hours of home video documenting his legendary career ... and now TBE has hooked up with several big Hollywood producers and billionaire businessman Robert Smith to create a docuseries titled "The GOAT."

Floyd says the show will follow him from his time as a kid in New Jersey, through becoming one of the most famous and successful athletes of all time ... and the trials and tribulations between.

"I want to be able to tell my story in my way. The good, the bad, the ugly. I don't want the people to think I take certain pieces out and it's all glory. There's a lot of ups and downs in life every day. And there's a lot of struggles. Not just with myself but with my loved ones. People gonna love it. Believe me."

Floyd says he's been asked countless times over the years to make a doc, but the timing wasn't right until now.

"Since the beginning of my professional career in 1996, I've been asked, 'Floyd, let's do a documentary on your amateur career. How your dad went to prison. How your grandmother was cleaning hotel rooms and offices to take care of you. And how you was living in New Brunswick, NJ. Seven of us in a one-bedroom.' The story is just so amazing. Like I said before the people are going to love it."

And picking the right team, for Floyd, is paramount.

Mayweather has linked up with Hidden Empire's Deon Taylor and Roxanne Taylor … who will Direct and Produce the series.

"Partnering with Deon and his team. We sat down at a roundtable, and we came up with a hell of a game plan. He said, 'Floyd let the world hear about you. The world want to know your story.' I said, 'let's do it.'"

We also talked to Deon about the project.

Businessmen and investor Robert Smith, the wealthiest Black man in America (Forbes says he’s worth $8 BILLION), and a confidant of Floyd, will also pitch in when it comes to the creative side of the show.

"I'm not one to say I know it all," Mayweather told us of his relationship with one of the world's wealthiest people, adding ... "I like to communicate with Robert Smith about business on a daily basis. I don't mind asking for help."

James McNair and Jona Rechnitz, part of Floyd’s inner circle, will also work on the project.

We may have just found the world's biggest Dwayne Johnson fan ... a man in Mexico absolutely lost it, breaking down in tears as "The Rock" signed his WWE belt, and it was super sweet.

It all went down this week during Johnson's #BlackAdamWorldTour ... where he was promoting his upcoming superhero film.

DJ shared the clip on Instagram ... showing fans in Mexico City eagerly waiting to meet the actor -- and one of 'em had a WWE belt for the former wrestler to sign.

Johnson LOVES his fans and was more than happy to autograph the belt ... and that's when the guy is overcome with emotions to the point he starts shaking and praying.

"Thank you! Thank you, Rock! Thank you," the fan says, giving DJ a handshake.

"An emotional night," Johnson wrote in the caption, "Lots of tears of joy."

"Even my cold, dark soul gets a little emotional when I see people start to break and cry. It's a beautiful thing. THANK YOU MEXICO I love you back."

This memorable moment comes just a week after a younger fan met with the 50-year-old after waiting 2 hours.

And, like in Mexico City, the young girl, Carol, cried while they took photos and video together.

"This awesome girl (Carol) waited two hours to finally meet BLACK ADAM⚡️," Johnson said, "His heart may be cold and black, but it still beats 🖤 Especially, for kids."

American actor and filmmaker Bill Duke was 37 years old when he was cast as Leon James -- the pimp of Julian Kaye who was a suspect in framing Kaye of murder -- in the classic "American Gigolo" back in 1980.

Bill was cast alongside the great Richard Gere as the high-priced escort who is being accused of murdering one of his clients, Julian Kaye, Lauren Hutton as Julian's love interest and the state senator's wife, Michelle Stratton, Héctor Elizondo as a detective who is convinced Julian is guilty of murder, Detective Joe Sunday.

Duke went on to play the machine gun-toting Mac Eliot in the explosive 1987 film "Predator."

Alec Baldwin's gotta be breathing sighs of relief over settling the "Rust" wrongful death lawsuit, and his first stop after the announcement is the Bronx Zoo ... with most of his kids.

Alec's pulling major dad duty Wednesday ... getting in some QT at the world-famous zoo with 4 of his 7 children he shares with his wife, Hilaria. The family outing came within hours of the news breaking about his settlement of the lawsuit over Halyna Hutchins' shooting death on the movie set.

As we reported, Matthew Hutchins announced he's dropping the wrongful death suit against Alec, the producers and the production company ... saying they've reached terms.

What's more, Alec is going to complete filming his lead role, along with the OG cast, for the movie. Meanwhile, Matthew is now getting an Executive Producer deal on the project.

Matt said filming will resume in January 2023 ... "I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the  entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work."

As you know, Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed on set by Alec Baldwin last year.

The Santa Fe County D.A. is still investigating Halyna's death and says it's still possible Alec, along with a few others, could be prosecuted in the case.

Matthew Hutchins' settlement in his wrongful death suit against Alec Baldwin and others from the set of "Rust" means production is back on ... but it doesn't mean the ongoing criminal investigation into the D.P.'s death is coming to a halt.

Sources connected to the investigation tell TMZ ... the settlement will in no way affect the criminal probe ... a probe in which authorities say Baldwin and others could be charged.

The Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ, once the investigation is completed the file will be forwarded to the District Attorney, who will then decide who, if anyone, will be prosecuted.

As we reported, Baldwin and co. are picking up where they left off in the movie that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life last year -- because the actor's continuing in his lead role ... and other cast members will continue as well.

Halyna's husband Matthew announced he's no longer pursuing a lawsuit against AB or the "Rust" producers, saying they've reached terms and he's agreed to drop his wrongful death suit. Matthew has also signed on to be an executive producer for the project.

Attorney Jason Bowles, who is repping on set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, tells TMZ ... Hannah is grateful this settlement will benefit the Hutchins family -- adding they're hopeful the D.A.'s office will opt out of pursuing criminal charges.

Alec Baldwin is picking up where he left off in the movie that claimed a D.P.'s life -- 'cause her widower has settled his lawsuit against Baldwin and others ... and he'll now executive produce the movie side by side with AB.

Shocking news broke Wednesday morning in relation to the "Rust'" drama ... namely, Baldwin is going to reprise his lead role -- as is every other actor who was involved at first -- with the only difference now being who's running the show ... and that would be Matthew Hutchins.

Indeed ... the husband of Halyna Hutchins -- who was shot and killed by Baldwin last year -- has announced he's no longer pursuing a lawsuit against AB or the "Rust" producers, saying they've reached terms and agreed to drop his wrongful death lawsuit.

Not just that, but he's also reviving the flick ... plus, he's stepping in as the new executive producer and seeing this thing through -- a stunning development and a complete 180.

Matt says, "We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed."

He goes on to say, "The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work."

Attorneys and a rep for Rust Movie Productions LLC said they were happy to have landed on the same page as Matt, and are also ecstatic they can complete their passion project.

Alec, for his part, says ... "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna's son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation." Director Joel Souza also expressed his happiness with this turn of events -- so everyone's all good now apparently.

While things might be fine civilly, there's still a criminal investigation that's working its way through the system -- and based on recent revelations from the Santa Fe County D.A. ... Alec is not out of the woods, and very well might be prosecuted sooner than later.

Skyler Gisondo says a lady was supposed to do his hair and makeup for a movie -- but ended up playing masseuse and screwing up his body ... so now, he's suing.

The actor is taking hairstylist Lori Guidroz to court for what he claims was general negligence on her part during the making of P.T. Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" -- in which Skyler plays a somewhat significant role, Alana Haim's temporary on-screen boyfriend early on in the flick.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Skyler alleges while Lori was working on his makeup -- even though she has a hair credit for the movie -- she gave him a massage at one point, which he says ended up causing him severe neck injuries.

SG doesn't get more specific about how she might have rubbed him up -- or what precisely happened to his neck -- but at any rate, he claims Lori was unlicensed and shouldn't have done it ... 'cause he needed significant medical care in the aftermath.

Skyler also notes in his suit that he's suffered beyond just the pain here -- claiming he's lost wages and part of his ability to work because of what Lori allegedly did. SG also claims he's suffered the loss of use of property, plus property damage ... but doesn't offer any detail on what that means. He's seeking compensatory damages based on proof he says he can offer.

FWIW ... Lori is a pretty big deal in the hair world -- she's done 'dos for a number of A-list stars over the years, including Ben Stiller, Orlando Bloom, David Bowie and others.

Presumably, that could mean he's roping the studio and/or the director into this too.

The new 'Black Panther' trailer seems to confirm there will be a woman filling out the suit -- but that's news to one of the stars of the flick ... who's staying as tight-lipped as possible.

Actress and stuntwoman Janeshia Adams-Ginyard -- who plays one of the Dora Milaje female warriors in the 2 films -- gave us her reaction to the 'Wakanda Forever' trailer Tuesday at LAX, but acted oblivious to what was actually shown ... especially at the end of the trailer.

Of course, we're referring to the fact Letitia Wright appears to be revealed as the new Black Panther, with her whole suit and everything shown in full view in the newly revealed scenes.

It sounds like JAG is also aware of that spoiler, and even though it's out there for the world to see now ... she's not taking ANY chances, and played dumb on the topic.

So much so, we had to ask her -- just how serious does Marvel take its movie secrets??? Watch her response ... the Kevin Feige memes are real!

On a more serious note, our photog also asks Janeshia what she thinks this sequel will mean for little girls of color ... and if it'll have the same impact the OG had for boys.

She made a pretty bold prediction ... that this flick will culturally, and financially, surpass part 1 by leaps and bounds. That's saying a lot, as "Black Panther" is one of the highest-grossing movies domestically ever, sitting comfortably in the Top 10.

Velma's into women -- the character's been confirmed as lesbian after years of fan theories -- in a new cartoon 'Scooby-Doo' movie ... and the LGBTQ+ crowd is all about it.

Velma's sexual orientation was revealed in a new clip from the animated flick "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!" which hit streaming services Tuesday. It shows Velma encountering a costume designer named Coco Diablo ... and she's instantly smitten.

You see Velma blush as she takes in the sight of Coco, with her glasses fogging up and romantic music playing. Velma is also shown as admiring other characteristics of Cocos beyond just her looks, including her fashion sensibilities and intelligence.

Interestingly enough, Velma has been depicted as straight in the past ... with a rebooted version of the series showing her as being in a relationship with Shaggy, although it's been suggested by showrunners he was actually just a beard for her.

Of course, people are overjoyed ... including those in the gay and lesbian communities, who are praising the explicit depiction and the on-screen representation.

FWIW, it seems Coco's lesbian too -- and she also appears to be into Velma, calling her "cute" in another scene where they show a little affection and flirting.

Velma being lesbian has long been suspected by the fan base -- and it's actually been stated as true by some creatives who've worked on 'Scooby' projects over the years ... including James Gunn, who helmed the live-action adaptations, and producer Tony Cervone.

Pete Davidson is seemingly erasing his past with Kim Kardashian -- sporting a bandage where he used to have a "My Girl is a Lawyer" tattoo.

Pete was spotted Wednesday on the set of his upcoming comedy series "Bupkis" in NYC, and he had a bandage peaking through his shirt. Remember, PD got that infamous tat for his ex-boo while they were dating.

At the time, Kim was gushing over the fact that Pete got some new ink to cement their love along with many other tattoos like the initials of Kim's kids and a branding on his chest to honor her.

Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne were thrust into a dangerous situation in Argentina this weekend -- one that left a paparazzi photographer going to cops and alleging assault.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the two stars were dining in Buenos Aires early Sunday morning, and as they were leaving a restaurant (Patagonia Sur in the La Boca neighborhood), there was an Uber waiting for them -- but the pickup went awry.

We're told that as the ladies were entering the car, a pap rushed them and started taking photos aggressively, intruding in their space. Our sources say the encounter freaked out the driver, who took off -- with Cara fully in the car, and Margot halfway in and halfway out.

Margot actually had to jump out of the car to avoid being seriously hurt, we're told, but even after she was on the ground ... the photog continued snapping. That's when a couple of male friends of Margot's, who were on hand, jumped in to help -- per our sources.

Now, we're being told the photog ran off and fell on his own at this point -- but he's telling police there in Buenos Aires something very different ... namely, that he was brutally beaten by these two gents, whom he perceived as security guards, and hospitalized.

According to the online Argentine newspaper Infobae -- which has been in business since 2002 -- the pap, named Pedro Alberto Orquera, was left with a broken arm and a bloody scalp after the alleged beatdown ... this per a police report the outlet claims to have seen.

They go on to say that the guy wanted to press charges ... and since then, the two men -- Jac Rhis Hopkins and Josei Mac Namara Callum -- have been detained. Our sources tell us they are NOT bodyguards (just pals) but that they are, in fact, in police custody.

Unclear if they've been arrested/booked on any specific charges yet. We've tried reaching out to the local authorities for confirmation, but so far ... no luck in connecting with anyone for info. Infobae reports the authorities are interested in prosecuting, pending an investigation.

No word on what may have happened after the alleged incident as it pertains to Margot and Cara -- but on the face of things ... it sounds like an upsetting altercation to say the least.

We've reached out to Margot and Cara's reps to check in on how they're doing. The two women are obviously close friends -- proven in recent house visits Margot's made amid issues Cara's been dealing with. They also travel together often, like earlier this summer.

We haven't heard back from either of their camps.

Niners wideout Ray-Ray McCloud will channel Bow Wow's Calvin Cambridge for "Monday Night Football" -- TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a pair of custom "Like Mike" cleats for the big contest against the Rams!!

The 25-year-old receiver hit up Joe Castro to get the movie-themed spikes done ... and we're told after the Cali artist spent about 10 hours making them, they're now set to arrive just in time for kickoff.

The Nike Untouchable Speed 3 cleats painted in 49ers' gold and red came out pretty sweet -- with both shoes featuring depictions of Bow Wow from the movie.

"Like Mike" is also written on the cleats as well.

If you haven't seen it ... the 2002 film is a classic -- it features an orphan named Calvin Cambridge (played by Bow Wow) who becomes an NBA superstar after wearing a pair of sneakers he found that once belonged to Michael Jordan.

Letitia Wright seems to be taking up the 'Black Panther' mantle post-Chadwick Boseman -- a revelation that just made itself clear in the latest trailer for the forthcoming sequel.

A new 'Wakanda Forever' trailer just dropped, and it appears to confirm a major fan theory that's been floated for months -- namely, that Shuri, T'Challa's sister in the film series, will become the costumed character going forward ... at least for now, anyway.

At the end of the trailer, you see a female 'Black Panther' standing tall -- and while it doesn't exactly spell out who's behind the mask ... all signs point to LW picking up the baton.

Right before we see the lady 'BP,' you see a shot of Letitia ... so it's not hard to piece this one together. Plus, this actually aligns with the comic series -- in one of the 'Black Panther' timelines, Shuri actually assumes the role for a while ... meaning her doing this is canon.

Of course, the reason this is even happening at all is because Chadwick passed away suddenly in 2020 -- succumbing to a cancer diagnosis that he kept private and hidden from public view. Marvel refused to recast the character ... so this is the route they've chosen.

The other reason this is noteworthy is because Letitia was embroiled in a controversy during COVID ... she was accused of spewing anti-vaxx rhetoric, and there were even some reports she took some of those sentiments on set with her during the filming of this movie.