Movies

There's a new popcorn bucket that's apparently been made to promote the upcoming 'Dune' sequel -- and if this thing is legit ... it's raising a lot of eyebrows for very obvious reasons.

These photos of the purported movie-themed bucket -- which has not hit theaters yet, apparently -- are circulating online ... and the rub, it seems, is that these may in fact be trotted out to the general public in conjunction with the 'Dune 2' release in March.

If you're unsure what you're looking at here, well ... you're not alone. If you're a fan of the franchise, though -- you'll recognize this as the mouth of one of the giant sandworms in the first flick, which Timothée Chalamet has to fight/escape from in his epic sci-fi universe.

Basically, WB (or whoever the hell designed this) seems to have thought it'd be fun to have fans reach their hands into the "mouth" of the plastic worm to get to the popcorn below.

No harm, no foul in concept -- but in the execution of this design ... the makers didn't realize this worm bucket thing could be interpreted a few different ways -- and yes, they're all pretty freaking naughty. At least that's what the Internet thinks, anyway ... jokes galore.

We'll let your imagination run wild with this one -- and we suppose we'll ask the question ...

Barbie collectors can start counting the Benjamins, 'cause the movie's Oscar noms are about to blow up the Barbie resale market ... according to one toy expert.

We talked to "America's Toy Scout" Joel Magee -- a frequent "Pawn Stars" guest with more than 20 years experience in the collectibles world -- and he says he's expecting prices to just keep on climbing since the movie picked up 8 noms for this year's Academy Awards

JM says all the buzz around the movie and awards season is indoctrinating the young generation into collectible culture. So, whereas a few years ago the biggest buyer of Barbies might be your nostalgic Grandma Sue, it's now fashionable among the Gen Z crowd to buy Barbie.

And, Magee pulled out his magic 8 ball to make a prediction for us ... saying the mass producer of Barbie, Mattel, is really smart and loves its limited-edition drops -- so keep your eyes peeled for an Oscar-themed Barbie possibly hitting the market very soon.

Now, of course, Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Oscar while Margot Robbie missed out in the acting category, but Magee says the breadwinner has always been, and will remain, Barbie. Sorry, Ken.

Joel tells us collectors go out to buy different Barbies -- Astronaut Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Birthing Dog Barbie, etc. -- and they'll get the accompanying Ken to complete the set, but he's not the draw.

Translation: He's just Ken.

That said ... an Academy Award for Gosling will jack up those Ken prices -- Magee's talking doubling or tripling the value. And, if he's not Kenough for the voters, Joel still sees a 40 or 50% increase for the nomination alone. Cha-ching!!!

Magee's final piece of advice for collectors -- buy those limited-edition Barbies, like the Oscar Barbie he predicts could be coming down the pike.

Los coleccionistas de Barbie pueden empezar a contar los billetes, porque las nominaciones de la película a los Oscar están a punto de hacer estallar el mercado de reventa de Barbie... según un experto en juguetes.

Hemos hablado con Joel Magee, invitado habitual de "Pawn Stars" y con más de 20 años de experiencia en el mundo del coleccionismo, y nos ha dicho que espera que los precios sigan subiendo desde que la película obtuvo 8 nominaciones a los Oscar de este año.

JM dice que todo el revuelo en torno a la película y la temporada de premios está adoctrinando a la generación joven en la cultura del coleccionismo. Así que mientras que hace unos años la mayor compradora de Barbies podía ser tu nostálgica abuela Sue, ahora está de moda entre la generación Z comprar Barbies.

Magee sacó su bola mágica 8 para hacer una predicción para nosotros, diciendo que el productor masivo de Barbie, Mattel, es muy inteligente y ama a sus gotas de edición limitada así que mantengan los ojos bien abiertos para una Barbie temática Oscar posiblemente llegando al mercado muy pronto.

Ahora, por supuesto, Ryan Gosling fue nominado a un Oscar, mientras que Margot Robbie se perdió en la categoría de actuación, pero Magee dice que el sostén de la familia siempre ha sido y seguirá siendo Barbie. Lo siento, Ken.

Joel nos cuenta que los coleccionistas salen a comprar diferentes Barbies: Barbie Astronauta, Barbie Doctora, etc. y comprarán el Ken acompañante para completar el conjunto, pero él no es parte del sorteo.

Traducción: Él solo es Ken.

Dicho esto, un Oscar para Gosling hará subir los precios de los Ken y Magee está hablando de duplicar o triplicar el valor. Y, si no es Kenough para los votantes, Joel todavía ve un aumento del 40 o 50% solo por la nominación.

El último consejo de Magee para los coleccionistas: compren esas Barbies de edición limitada, como la Barbie Oscar, ya que él predice que podría ser una gran inversión.

Ginnifer Goodwin is all about a good Prince Charming ... and she trusts Disney to make the right call when it comes to his role, or lack thereof, in the live-action "Snow White."

We got Ginnifer at Porta Via in Los Angeles on Thursday and our photog asked her how Prince Charming fits into the Snow White fairytale.

Ginnifer famously played Snow White in the ABC fantasy series "Once Upon a Time" ... and she says Prince Charming was pretty important to her.

Of course, Ginnifer's talking about her husband, Josh Dallas ... she says Josh was her Prince Charming in real life ... they got married and plan to live happily ever after.

The 'Snow White' live-action remake might do away with the love story altogether ... which is causing a bunch of uproar, on top of the controversy surrounding the original Seven Dwarfs.

Personal experience aside, Ginnifer's leaving it up to Disney to decide what's best for this movie ... she says the studio's track record speaks for itself.

The director of a 'Road House" reboot is mad the movie won't run in movie theaters -- potentially costing Jake Gyllenhaal an Oscar -- but Patrick Swayze's widow says that's a highbrow aim compared to the OG film ... which was never meant to win Academy Awards.

Lisa Niemi Swayze tells TMZ ... the original "Road House" wasn't really Oscar-worthy material and it never tried to be ... it was just supposed to be a guilty pleasure.

Doug Liman directed the new 'RH' with Jake playing Patrick's main character role of John Dalton ... and he's ripping Amazon for sending it straight to its Prime Video streaming service, instead of giving it a theatrical run first.

Doug says Amazon is depriving Jake from being recognized come award season for what he says is a career-best acting performance ... and he's boycotting SXSW, where the film is set to debut.

Patrick's wife isn't bashing Doug or the new movie when she says the original wasn't geared at winning Academy Awards, though ... she's just saying the 1989 film was really just for pure entertainment.

In fact, Lisa says Patrick truly respected Jake as an actor and thought he was a great talent.

As for the raging debate over the benefits of a theatrical release versus a straight-to-streaming release ... Lisa says she's not qualified to give a hot take.

Masuimi Max -una actriz y modelo que apareció en grandes publicaciones como Playboy y Maxim- ha muerto... TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales le dicen a TMZ que recibieron una llamada justo antes de las 8:30 AM esta mañana y respondieron a la casa de Max en el área de Las Vegas, donde encontraron a Max. Nos dicen que una investigación a fondo se llevará a cabo.

No hay más detalles sobre las circunstancias de su muerte por el momento.

Max comenzó a modelar el año 2000 según su LinkedIn, y a lo largo de los años apareció en numerosas publicaciones como Maxim, Alt Magazine, Bizarre Magazine y una serie de otros puntos de venta en los últimos años.

Los aficionados pueden recordarla por las veces que posó para Playboy. Además participó en muchos eventos en la Mansión Playboy a finales de 2000 y principios de 2010.

Tiene algunos créditos en IMDb, aunque en su mayoría películas de serie B como "Cornman: American Vegetable Hero" y "Giantess Battle Attack". Tuvo un papel no acreditado en "xXx: State of the Union" protagonizada por Samuel L. Jackson y Ice Cube donde interpretó a la novia de Zeke, el papel del rapero Xzibit en la película.

Los últimos años se ha dedicado sobre todo al modelaje alternativo... gravitando hacia espectáculos de terror/cabaret cargados de maquillaje y videos de YouTube. Había acumulado una sólida base de fans en línea, con más de 300k seguidores en Instagram.

Masuimi tenía 45 años.

Masuimi Max -- an actress and model who appeared in big publications like Playboy and Maxim -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call just before 8:30 AM PT this morning and responded to Max's Las Vegas-area home where they found Max. We're told no foul play is immediately suspected ... though a thorough investigation will be conducted.

No further details about the circumstances of her death were immediately available.

Max started modeling back in 2000, according to her LinkedIn ... over the years she appeared in numerous publications like Maxim, Alt Magazine, Bizarre Magazine and a number of other outlets over the years.

Fans may remember her from the times she posed for Playboy -- MM also hit up events at the Playboy Mansion throughout the late 2000s/early 2010s.

She's got some credits on IMDb ... though mostly B-movies like "Cornman: American Vegetable Hero" and "Giantess Battle Attack." She did have an uncredited role in "xXx: State of the Union" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube ... where she played the girlfriend of Zeke -- rapper Xzibit's role in the movie.

She's mostly been into alternative modeling in recent years ... gravitating toward make-up-heavy horror/cabaret shows and YouTube videos. She'd amassed a solid fanbase online, with more than 300k dedicated IG followers.

Masuimi was 45.

The investigation into Michael B. Jordan's violent Ferrari crash is closed, and he won't face any criminal repercussions ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement tells us there's just not enough evidence to prove what happened during the December crash in Hollywood ... despite a video showing Michael racing another driver -- also in a Ferrari -- moments before Michael careened into a parked KIA.

Cops say the video is part of the puzzle of what happened during the accident, but it's not enough to complete it -- especially as it doesn't capture whether MBJ was behind the wheel.

If a crime had been committed, we're told it would be street racing, and because that's a misdemeanor ... an officer would need to witness Jordan driving. That didn't happen as cops only responded after the fact.

Ditto for speeding -- we're told it isn't clear from the vid just how fast Michael's car was going as he apparently raced the other down Sunset Blvd.

So, when you put it all together ... just too many question marks to prosecute.

Anthony Ramos ha sido fichado para interpretar una versión con actores de "Bob el Constructor", pero la jugada está levantando críticas porque su personaje, al parecer, va a ser explícitamente latino.

La cosa es así, Anthony Ramos fue anunciado como el protagonista de la nueva película de juguetes de Mattel, para interpretar al propio Bob. Aunque en el comunicado de prensa que está circulando se dice que el nombre real de su personaje es en realidad "Roberto".

La descripción oficial de la trama dice: "Cuando Roberto 'Bob' viaja a la encantadora isla de Puerto Rico para un importante trabajo de construcción, se enfrenta a cuestiones que afectan a la isla y profundiza en lo que significa construir. El viaje de Bob celebrará las vibrantes y coloridas texturas de las naciones latinas del Caribe y su gente".

La otra gran noticia de esto es el hecho de que la compañía cinematográfica de Jennifer Lopez, Nuyorican Productions, está ayudando a hacer este proyecto, por supuesto, ella misma también es latina.

Así que la pregunta es, ¿por qué de repente hacemos que "Bob el constructor" sea hispano?

Sin duda, eso es lo que muchas personas se están preguntando en Internet en este momento, por no hablar de un montón de memes y chistes sobre este giro sorpresa en el programa de dibujos animados que ha existido durante años. Lo más importante es que Bob siempre ha sido percibido como un personaje blanco.

Ahora, sin embargo, parece que J Lo y compañía quieren reimaginarlo por alguna razón y digamos que hay reacciones mixtas frente a la decisión. Algunos están a favor, argumentando que no debería importar la raza o etnia de Bob, pero otros están llorando y afirmando que esto es "woke" casting.

Lo que es peor aún, algunos incluso están sugiriendo que hacer Bob Latino podría ser un poco racista, jugando con los estereotipos y convirtiendo a un personaje que nadie pidió.

Curiosamente, hay incluso un puñado de personas que sugieren que Jen y todos los demás deberían haber desarrollado / adaptado a otro personaje "trabajador" de los dibujos animados que ya está escrito como un latino, a saber, "Handy Manny". ¿Por qué no hacer que Anthony lo interprete?

Cómo están digiriendo las personas esta noticia es, sin duda, una bolsa de gatos y suponemos que la identidad racial de Bob está, técnicamente, en el ojo del espectador.

Anthony Ramos has been tapped to play a live-action version of 'Bob the Builder' -- but the move is turning heads ... 'cause his character is apparently going to be Latino, explicitly.

Here's the deal ... AR was announced as the lead of Mattel's newest toy-to-movie offering, meaning he's going to play Bob himself -- although, in the press release that's going around ... it says his character's real name is actually "Roberto."

The official description of the plot reads ... "When Roberto 'Bob' travels to the enchanting island of Puerto Rico for a major construction job, he takes on issues affecting the island and digs deeper into what it means to build. Bob’s journey will celebrate the vibrant and colorful textures of the Caribbean Latin nations and their people."

The other big news from this is the fact that Jennifer Lopez's movie company -- Nuyorican Productions -- is helping make this thing ... of course, she herself is also Latina.

So the question ... why are we making 'Bob the Builder' Hispanic all of a sudden???

That's certainly what a lot of people online are asking right now -- not to mention a bunch of memes and jokes about this surprise twist on the cartoon show that's been around for years. The biggest takeaway is that Bob has always been perceived as a white character.

Now, however, it looks like J Lo and co. wanna reimagine that for some reason -- and let's just say there are mixed reactions to the decision. Some are for it, arguing it shouldn't matter what race/ethnicity Bob is ... but others are crying foul and claiming this is "woke" casting.

Worse yet ... some are even suggesting that making Bob Latino might just be a little racist -- playing into stereotypes and turning a character on its head, which nobody asked for.

Funny enough, there are even a handful of folks suggesting Jen and everybody would've been better off developing/adapting another "worker" cartoon character who's already written as a Latino ... namely, 'Handy Manny.' Why not just have Anthony play him?

How people are digesting this is for sure a mixed bag -- and we suppose Bob's racial identity is, technically, in the eye of the beholder. We'll say this ... it does sorta feel like a reach.

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.

Ariana Grande está pasando a cosas más grandes y mejores, ya que finalmente ha terminado el rodaje de "Wicked" y no fue una despedida sin lágrimas.

La cantante y actriz compartió una foto suya detrás de cámaras en el personaje de Glinda. La foto fue tomada a través de una cortina blanca, por lo que realmente solo se puede distinguir una silueta, pero sin duda se parece a ella.

Ella subtituló la foto con el comentario "como una huella de la mano en mi corazón", bastante críptico, pero el director Jon M. Chu ayudó a aclararlo, confirmando que correspondía al final de Grande en la película y volvió a repostear la imagen en su propio Instagram para darle las gracias por todo su trabajo.

Y aquí es donde se puso REALMENTE emocional, porque Grande luego respondió a Jon y le agradeció por "liderar el camino con tanta compasión, apertura, brillantez y amabilidad" y dijo que este agregó más pestañas empapadas de lágrimas al final de la filmación.

Parte de la razón por la que las emociones están tan altas es el hecho de que Ari y compañía han estado en esto durante mucho tiempo, en los parámetros de Hollywood. El rodaje comenzó a finales de 2022, pero se interrumpió por la huelga de SAG-AFTRA.

Por cierto, el nuevo hombre de Ariana, Ethan Slater, también terminó de grabar y publicó una despedida de su personaje Boq a principios de esta semana junto a una serie de fotos.

Es un gran momento para la pareja Grande/Slater. El dúo se conoció en el set de la película y comenzó a salir no mucho después, cada uno ha solicitado el divorcio de sus respectivos cónyuges desde que dimos a conocer la noticia de su relación el pasado mes de julio.

Y, sabemos que esto se está poniendo muy serio también. Fuentes nos dijeron el mes pasado que Ariana Grande y Ethan Slater están viviendo juntos, aunque aún mantienen residencias separadas en Nueva York.

Bonito lujo para tener en caso de que no puedan resolver una pelea de amantes.

Jason Momoa parece estar listo para poner sus habilidades de canto y baile en exhibición para millones, porque se está moviendo y bailando en un nuevo anuncio del Super Bowl con algunas referencias icónicas de los años 80.

Aquaman en persona fue visto filmando en Santa Clarita con Zach Braff y Donald Faison el miércoles y si le echas un vistazo a las fotos, te darás cuenta de que está emocionado y con una enorme sonrisa en su cara.

Mientras Zach se acercó a Jason —básicamente cantando en su cara— Donald tuvo su propio momento especial con Momoa, recibiendo un crujiente choque de manos del actor de 44 años. Esperamos que la mano de Donald se encuentre bien.

En cuanto a la coreografía, Momoa lo tiene bajo control. Comienza abriéndose camino por la calle, cantando en un micrófono falso antes de rasgar su ropa para revelar una camiseta sin mangas negra.

El equipo parece estar bailando una versión parodia de "Flashdance...What A Feeling", la canción de la escena final de la película "Flashdance" -- Jason incluso se inclina hacia atrás justo al final para rendir homenaje a la icónica escena acuática de Jennifer Beals en la película.

Sabemos lo que se están preguntando si mojarán a Jason con una manguera o algo así... esperemos que ya hayan rodado esa parte".

El equipo parecía apreciar los esfuerzos de los chicos en todo caso, con el trío recibiendo una ovación de pie al final de la rutina.

Hablando de rutina, estos anuncios se están convirtiendo en algo regular para Braff y Faison. Han hecho parodias de "Oh What A Beautiful Morning", "I Feel Pretty", e incluso engancharon al gran John Travolta en uno con una parodia de "Grease".

Jason Momoa seems ready to put his singing and dancing skills on display for millions ... 'cause he's moving and grooving in a new Super Bowl ad with some iconic '80s references!

Aquaman himself was spotted filming in Santa Clarita with Zach Braff and Donald Faison Wednesday -- and if you check out the pics, you'll notice he's clearly bringing the excitement to this new T-Mobile ad with a huge smile on his face and jazz hands at the ready.

While Zach got up close and personal with JM -- basically singing right into his face -- DF got his own special moment with Momoa ... getting a crisp high-five from the 44-year-old. Hope your hand's doing OK, Donald!

As for the choreography ... Momoa's got it down. He starts by sashaying his way down the drive toward the street, singing into a fake microphone while he's at it before ripping open his button-down to reveal a black tank top.

The team seems to be dancing to a parody version of "Flashdance...What A Feeling" ... the song from the final scene in the film "Flashdance" -- Jason even leans back right at the end to pay homage to Jennifer Beals' iconic water scene in the film.

We know what you're all wondering ... it doesn't look like they drench Jason with a hose or anything at the end of the commercial -- but, hopefully, they already shot that part???

The crew seemed to appreciate the guys' efforts either way ... with the trio getting a rousing standing ovation at the end of the routine.

Speaking of routine ... these ads are becoming kind of a regular thing for Braff and Faison. They've done parodies of "Oh What A Beautiful Morning," "I Feel Pretty," and even roped the great John Travolta into one featuring a "Grease" parody.

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.

And, the Oscar goes to ... Conor McGregor?!?!

The UFC superstar showed off his impressive acting chops in the latest trailer for the upcoming "Road House" flick starring Jake Gyllenhaal ... perfectly embracing the antagonist role in his first major Hollywood gig.

Gyllenhaal is playing a UFC fighter-turned-bouncer in the reimagining of the '80s classic with Patrick Swayze ... and judging by the first look of the project, McGregor is gonna have a ton of screen time.

At one point in the trailer, Conor -- who's playing a badass named Knox -- enters a bar and immediately raises hell ... smashing a bunch of tables with a golf club and beating the crap out of Gyllenhaal's Elwood Dalton character.

The teaser also shares multiple flashes of different scenes involving the former champ-champ ... so it's fair to say McGregor's role ain't just a quick cameo.

Conor praised his own performance while sharing the snippet on social media Wednesday ... saying, "Fighting, acting, there’s nothing this Mac can’t do! Here’s the trailer featuring my brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, and me going toe-to-toe in the wildest action movie ever – Road House!"

"My acting debut is gonna leave a mark! Long live Knox!"

While Conor is pumped, the project is at the center of a bit of drama at the moment ... as director Doug Liman said he's boycotting its showing at the SXSW festival over the decision to not put his movie in theaters.