Movies

Austin Butler es una cara nueva en "Dune", pero el tipo ya tiene motivos para celebrar porque se espera que su película haga mucho dinero en la taquilla este fin de semana.

Según Deadline, "Dune: Parte 2" es el primer gran éxito de taquilla del año, con proyecciones de que la película podría recaudar $76 millones a nivel nacional.

La cifra está un poco por debajo de las expectativas de la industria, que se situaban en 80 millones de dólares, pero comparados con los 41 millones de dólares que recaudó la película anterior, $76 millones es una bendición.

Por cierto, "Dune 2" no se enfrenta a una dura competencia por el primer puesto de taquilla, ya que ningún otro estreno importante se arriesga a enfrentarse al peso pesado de la ciencia ficción. La película biográfica "Bob Marley: One Love", que se estrenó hace unas semanas, se espera que termine en segundo lugar.

Toneladas de personas están entusiasmadas con la nueva película, puede tener algo que ver con estrellas como Butler que han asumido papeles clave en la segunda entrega.

Entre los que se unen a los veteranos de 'Dune' como Timothée Chalamet y Zendaya están Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux y más.

Los miembros del reparto han entusiasmado a los fans con sus frecuentes apariciones en eventos promocionales previos al estreno. Zendaya, por ejemplo, emocionó especialmente al público con su revelador traje cromado.

Austin Butler's a new face to 'Dune,' but the dude's already got reason to celebrate ... 'cause his movie's expected to make big money at the box office this weekend.

According to Deadline ... "Dune: Part 2" is the year's first big blockbuster hit -- with projections coming out that the flick's gonna take home $76 million domestically.

This is a shade under-reported industry expectations of $80 million ... but compared to the $41 million opening the movie's predecessor picked up, $76 million is a boon.

BTW ... 'Dune 2' isn't facing any stiff competition for the top box office spot -- with no major releases risking facing down the sci-fi heavyweight, the "Bob Marley: One Love" biopic that came out weeks ago is currently expected to finish second.

Tons of people are excited about the new movie coming out clearly ... and, it may have something to do with stars like Butler who've taken on key roles in the second movie.

Among the newcomers joining 'Dune' veterans like Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya ... Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux and more.

Cast members have gotten fans excited by their frequent event appearances in the promotional lead-up to the release ... with Zendaya particularly exciting audiences, especially in her revealing chrome body suit.

Comedian David Koechner's standup comedy act is smoking these days as some fans in Maryland discovered when he tried to catch a cannabis high on stage ... courtesy of an audience member, no less!

David hit the stage Friday night at Magooby's Joke House in Timonium, Maryland, where he performed for about an hour to a packed crowd, which included at least one fan who was puffing on a weed pen ... something Dave noticed from the stage.

Thirty minutes into his show, he must've caught a whiff of the sinsemilla, and decided to apply the golden rule -- sharing is caring!

Check out this video obtained by TMZ ... Dave looked out into the sea of people and asked, "Who is smoking? Is that weed?"

The man responded, "Yes" .... and motioning with his hand, David replied, "Give here."

The dude walked up to the stage and handed the vape to Dave, who started bantering with his fans as they egged him on to take a few tokes.

Dave finally caved and took two huge drags, blowing out the smoke. Of course, we can't tell from the video it really was marijuana ... but everyone in the crowd seemed convinced.

Assuming it was, it's NBD in Maryland ... where recreational cannabis was legalized last year.

We're not so sure puffing indoors at a comedy club is kosher -- but there were no narcs in the crowd, as David's show continued ... and, we're told everyone had a damn good time.

He's currently on a national comedy tour called "Blue Skies And Dirty Lies" -- and he's probably best known for his role as sportscaster Champ Kind in the 'Anchorman' movies.

You might recall in 2022 ... David was busted for driving while under the influence of alcohol in Ohio, receiving a ticket for the offense. He was also arrested and charged with DUI and hit and run in California's Ventura County on New Year's Eve 2021.

El comediante David Koechner está dando bocanadas de humo por estos días, como cuando los fans de Maryland descubrieron que intentó alcanzar un vaporizador de cannabis desde el escenario, cortesía nada menos que de un fanático de la audiencia.

David se subió al escenario del Magooby's Joke House en Timonium, Maryland, el viernes por la noche, donde actuó durante aproximadamente una hora frente a una multitud de personas. Uno de ellos estaba fumando un caño de marihuana, algo que Dave notó desde el escenario.

A los treinta minutos de empezar su show, debió haber olido un poco de la hierba y decidió aplicar la regla de oro: ¡compartir es cuidar!

Echa un vistazo a este video obtenido por TMZ: Dave miró hacia el mar de gente y preguntó: "¿Quién está fumando? ¿Eso es hierba?"

El hombre respondió: "Sí", y haciendo un gesto con la mano, David respondió: "Dale aquí".

El tipo se acercó al escenario y le entregó el vape a Dave, que empezó a bromear con sus fans mientras le animaban a darle unas caladas.

Dave finalmente cedió y dio dos enormes bocanadas. Por supuesto, no podemos decir en el video si realmente era marihuana, pero todos en la multitud parecían convencidos de ello.

Suponiendo que lo era, no es la gran cosa en Maryland, donde el cannabis recreativo fue legalizado el año pasado.

No estamos tan seguros de si era apropiado fumar en el club de comedia, pero no había narcos en la multitud y el show de David continuó. Nos dicen que todo el mundo lo pasó increíble.

Actualmente, está en una gira nacional de comedia llamada "Blue Skies And Dirty Lies" y es probablemente mejor conocido por su papel como comentarista deportivo en las películas "Anchorman"

Se pueden recordar que en 2022, David fue arrestado por conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol en Ohio, donde recibió una multa por el delito. También fue detenido y acusado de DUI y atropello y fuga en el condado de Ventura, en California, en la víspera de Año Nuevo 2021.

Gwyneth Paltrow's kicking off Women's History Month with a teachable moment -- imploring white women to emulate Black women's approach to self-love, but her message is hitting a lot of people as tone-deaf.

The Oscar winner shared her opinion Thursday while appearing alongside Dr. Ella Bell at the Makers Conference in Beverly Hills ... with the Goop founder praising her Black gal pals for having an "incredible intrinsic self-honoring."

She added, "It's like from the deepest part of their souls all the way to the tips of their fingers." Feel the cringe begin. 😬

According to Gwyneth, her "Black women friends know themselves, love themselves, in a way that I think white women are not taught to."

"I think white women are taught to be competitive with one another," she added, "which is something I've tried to work so hard to dispel, because I don't believe in competition between women -- but we're raised to be competitive, to be jealous, to look over each other's shoulders."

GP declared it isn't that way in her "circle of Black women" ... and she continued, "I've learned so much from my Black friends about ruthless self-acceptance and full love of self."

She went on to suggest white women can "learn from our Black sisters and the way in which they respect themselves."

Gwyneth had a direct message for those listening -- "Keeping white women at odds with each other, in competition with one another, keeps the patriarchy strong."

She added ... "You don't have to get less because somebody is going to get more."

While the lifestyle guru likely intended for these words to be uplifting -- on the final day of Black History Month, mind you -- some people think she flat-out missed the mark, especially with the African American community.

Scores of online comments are ripping Gwyneth for being blind to the fact Black women are commonly pitted against each other in pop culture and American society, at large.

Just a few high-profile examples -- Nicki Minaj is currently beefing with Megan Thee Stallion, and has previously feuded with Cardi B. Fellow rising stars Ice Spice and Latto are also taking subtle shots at each other.

Joel Souza recalled being rushed to the hospital after the "Rust" shooting ... and said he couldn't believe he'd been shot with a real bullet ... that is, until doctors showed him proof.

The director -- who was wounded in the same accidental shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" back in 2021 -- testified Friday during Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's trial that he didn't understand he'd been shot even while standing in the hospital.

Souza explained he did understand something had hit him -- but he couldn't believe it at first when doctors told him a real, live bullet had hit him.

Joel said he told hospital workers repeatedly they didn't understand what happened, repeating often that the incident took place on a movie set -- so there's no way a live bullet could've struck him.

After much protesting, JS says docs showed him an X-ray of his back ... and a real bullet was right there nestled underneath his skin, and he finally accepted the truth.

Of course, all this and much more has come out during Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial that kicked off last week.

A number of Hannah's former coworkers have testified on behalf of the prosecution ... with line producer Gabrielle Pickle even claiming she recommended a system to Hannah so she might keep track of the on-set guns better -- which she said Hannah turned down.

It's all part of the prosecution's argument that Hannah's sloppiness with guns and ammo on the set is to blame for the tragic incident.

For her part, Hannah's lawyers are claiming she was under an incredible amount of stress because she served as both armorer and prop assistant for the movie.

It looks like the trial will continue into next week.

One of the OG main characters from "The Crow" is slamming the remake ... and she's mostly worried about how Bill Skarsgård will portray the late Brandon Lee's iconic character.

Rochelle Davis -- who plays Sarah in the 1994 goth cult classic -- tells TMZ … Bill's revamped Crow doesn't resemble anything about the true character, not even from the comic book, and her initial reaction to the first images of Bill in character was ... "yuck."

Even before the photos of Bill as Eric Draven came out this week, Rochelle says she wasn't expecting anything good to begin with ... and her suspicions were ultimately confirmed.

Rochelle's not bashing Bill's talent as an actor ... but she hates his "dingy, dirty, grungy" look and says producers made this version of Eric Draven look like the bad guys he's supposed to be fighting.

For Rochelle ... Eric Draven is supposed to be a good man with a good soul ... and the remake seems to be missing the mark here, at least from what she can see so far.

What's more, Rochelle wishes there was more diversity in the cast ... she says anyone other than a straight white male would be a better fit for replacing Brandon's character -- and she thinks producers should have cast someone who resembles Brandon out of respect.

Remember ... Brandon was shot and killed by a prop gun on "The Crow" set. Rochelle says the least Hollywood could do was give him some reverence and not remake his last flick.

With that said ... Rochelle gives filmmakers props for casting FKA Twigs as Shelly.

At this point it shouldn't come as a shock ... Rochelle tells us she does NOT plan on watching the remake, mainly out of respect for Brandon, and she's calling on other fans of the OG movie to boycott the new version.

There's been some fan outrage over Bill's look and Rochelle knows folks are going to watch regardless, at least for curiosity's sake, and she does find some joy in the remake introducing newer generations to "The Crow."

The organizers of the disastrous Willy Wonka experience in the UK have issued an official apology -- that's after nearly a week of pure chaos, anger and rib-tickling memes.

Glasgow-based House of Illuminati -- the team behind the now-viral attraction -- laid it out on FB Friday ... owning up to the fiasco and acknowledging the disappointment and frustration they caused to all those parents who just wanted to show their kids a good time.

That being said ... HOI says that while it takes full responsibility for its decisions surrounding the debacle, anyone who was hired externally is categorically not affiliated with them -- meaning that tossing out allegations against those who didn't have anything to do with the mess can do some serious damage.

They're basically reminding everyone ... get the full story before casting judgment.

The person behind the post also lets us in on a deeply personal matter ... saying that they too are paying the price for the failed venture 'cause their wedding is now off.

Although, they note ... the ticket sales weren't ever gonna fund it in the first place.

They're also working hard to rectify the situation ... and refunding all 850 transactions of 35 pounds a pop is definitely a step in the right direction.

All in all, they're asking for some sympathy and time to process everything that's happened, adding ... "My intention is to learn from this experience. Your support and understanding during this time mean the world to me."

The official apology came after video surfaced of HOI facing off against some seriously angry parents -- who demanded refunds in a heated clip making the rounds online.

Paul Connell, one of the Wonkas caught up in this viral mess, also spilled the tea to TMZ ... saying the situation spiraled to the point cops had to be called. Adding insult to injury, PC also claimed he still hadn't been paid the 500 pounds (roughly $633) for his part in the event.

Nonetheless, the pissed parents have all rallied together and are reportedly working on putting on their own "Wonka" exhibit.

The team behind the viral, and failed, Willy Wonka experience has some making up to do, and Billy McFarland -- a guy who's very familiar with that situation -- wants to give them a shot at getting it right.

We talked to the Fyre Festival founder in NYC, and had to ask him about that Wonka disaster in the UK that's captured the world's attention ... and instantly reminded folks of Billy's own failed festival.

ICYMI ... pics from a pop-up Willy Wonka experience in Scotland have been all over X and other social media platforms with people complaining about how truly lackluster and appalling the whole thing was.

And, Billy agrees ... saying right off the bat he thinks organizers need to make amends with the kids for the one-star factory tour ASAP, and IF that happens ... he's offering team Wonka a spot at Fyre Festival II.

Remember, Billy put on a similarly, and legendarily, bad experience in the form of a music festival for high-paying fans back in 2017 in the Bahamas. The set-up was abysmal, and Billy later pled guilty to defrauding investors. He served around four years in prison.

McFarland says he wants to give the Wonka folks a chance to do things right at Fyre 2 ... albeit with some guardrails in place to keep everything on track.

Billy's clearly got the second Fyre Festival on his mind ... saying it's set for some time next year, but his partners will announce the date when they're ready. For now, he's taking on more of a marketing role and trying not to go overboard and do too much.

And, it seems like Fyre tickets are goin' quickly ... with Billy telling the world on Thursday that the Fyre II presale has received applications for around $110 million worth of tickets.

El equipo detrás de la experiencia viral de Willy Wonka necesita compensar a los niños -según Billy McFarland- quien quiere darle a los organizadores una oportunidad de redención.

Hablamos con el fundador del Festival Fyre en la ciudad de Nueva York el martes y tuvimos que preguntarle acerca de la experiencia Willy Wonka que ha capturado la atención del mundo, mientras que se podría compar con el propio festival fallido de Billy.

Fotos de una experiencia de Willy Wonka fallida en Escocia han circulado por X y otras plataformas de redes sociales con la gente quejándose de lo verdaderamente mediocre y espantoso que fue todo el asunto.

Billy está de acuerdo, diciendo desde el principio que él piensa que los organizadores tienen que hacer las paces con los niños lo antes posible, y luego les ofreció una rama de olivo y un lugar en el Festival Fyre II.

Recordemos que Billy vivió una mala experiencia similar en la forma de un festival de música para los fanáticos de alto pago de vuelta en 2017 en las Bahamas. El montaje fue pésimo, y Billy más tarde se declaró culpable de estafar a los inversores. Cumplió unos cuatro años de cárcel.

McFarland quiere darle al equipo la oportunidad de hacer las cosas bien en Fyre 2, aunque con algunos guardarraíles en su lugar para mantener todo en orden.

Billy claramente tiene el segundo Festival Fyre en su mente, diciendo que está programado para algún momento del próximo año, pero sus socios anunciarán la fecha cuando estén listos. Por ahora, él está tomando más de un papel de marketing y tratando de no ir por la borda y hacer demasiado.

Parece que las entradas de Fyre se van rápidamente, con Billy contándonos que el día que la preventa Fyre ha recibido solicitudes de alrededor de $110 millones de dólares en entradas.

Diane Warren says she's just along for the ride as she heads back to yet another Academy Awards while seeking her first win ... but her movie partners are a lot less bashful, 'cause they're bashing her competition.

We got the legendary songwriter Thursday at Pink's Hot Dogs on La Brea -- where Diane was being honored with her own veggie hot dog -- and our photog asked her about that elusive Oscar's win.

Diane's nominated for an Academy Award for the 15th time in her career -- this time she's up for Best Original Song for "The Fire Inside” from the film "Flamin' Hot" -- and she told us she's just happy to be nominated and already feels like a winner.

While Diane played it cool, her partners on the film go to bat for her ... telling us she deserves to finally win an Oscar.

Becky G sings Diane's song from the Hot Cheetos movie ... and she's gonna perform it at the Oscars, along with the other nominees.

The competition includes a couple songs from "Barbie" ... the Ryan Gosling-performed song "I'm Just Ken" and Billie Eilish and Finneas' "What Was I Made For?"

Diane's movie partners, Richard and Judy Montanez, take a couple playful shots at the "Barbie" duo here ... telling us Diane's tune is way better than the Ken song.

Don't even get them started on Billie's track, which they quietly say is "depressing." No hate here, just good fun ... Billie says she was depressed when writing the song anyway.

Win or lose next weekend at the Oscars, Diane's already got another notch on her belt ... in the form of her very own Pink's hot dog.

Diane's special dog is a veggie dog topped with jalapeño pepper jack cheese, guacamole, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

El ayudante de dirección del rodaje de "Rust" -que le entregó a Alec Baldwin la pistola que finalmente se disparó contra Halyna Hutchins- acaba de subir al estrado en el juicio del armero, y lloró.

David Halls testificó en nombre de la fiscalía el jueves en Nuevo México, donde van tras de Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed por cargos de homicidio, y dio una descripción detallada de su última interacción con Halyna antes de que muriera en el set.

Es increíblemente emocional. Él dice que Halyna le dijo que no podía sentir sus piernas antes de morir... y David derramó algunas lágrimas.

La fiscalía también tuvo a un productor de la película, Ryan Winterstern, testificando el jueves. Los fiscales dicen que Hannah afirmó anteriormente que habló con dos productores llamados Ryan y Nathan y les dijo que necesitaba tiempo adicional con Baldwin para realizar el tiro cruzado.

Recordemos que Alec estaba trabajando en el lugar designado cuando su arma se disparó, golpeando a Halyna y en última instancia tomando su vida. Los fiscales dicen que Hannah comparte al menos parte de la culpa porque ella era responsable de las armas en el set.

De todos modos, a Ryan le preguntaron directamente si se acuerda de haber tenido esa conversación con Hannah y testificó que no recordaba ningún momento en que ella intentara llamar su atención, y dijo que probablemente recordaría tal conversación si hubiera ocurrido.

Mientras tanto, en el testimonio del miércoles, los fiscales le preguntaron al productor Gabrielle Pickle si alguna vez expresó su preocupación a Hannah acerca de las armas de fuego en el set.

Gabrielle testificó que dos veces le planteó la cuestión a Hannah, en persona y también a través de correo electrónico.

Cuando le preguntaron si ella sugirió una manera de arreglar el problema con las armas de fuego desatendidas en el set de "Rust", Gabrielle testificó que le propuso un sistema de registro a Hannah, donde las armas de fuego serían registradas de entrada y salida cada vez que se usen.

Gabrielle testificó que Hannah rechazó la sugerencia, supuestamente diciéndole a Gabrielle que era "demasiado complicado" y que Hannah estaba trabajando con su propio sistema para realizar un seguimiento de las armas.

Como informamos, la declaración de apertura de la fiscalía estuvo enfocada en que Hannah fue la culpable de la ronda que mató a Halyna.

Los fiscales dijeron que Hannah no siguió los protocolos de seguridad de armas adecuadas en el set, alegando que regularmente dejaba armas y municiones tiradas por el set, e incluso permitió que munición real se infiltrara en la producción.

Por su parte, los abogados de Hannah han dicho que ella tenía la tarea de múltiples puestos de trabajo en el set; de armero y asistente de apoyo, y que era mucho trabajo para alguien de solo 24 años de edad.

Lizzo se está oponiendo a la idea de que rechazó un cameo para la nueva película de Jennifer López y suena como que... si hubiera sabido, habría aceptado.

Esta es la cuestión: J Lo reveló todas las celebridades que supuestamente rechazaron papeles en su reciente película "This Is Me ... Now", en un documental de Prime Video sobre la realización de su nuevo álbum, y el nombre de Lizzo apareció como "no disponible".

Sin embargo, Lizzo está diciendo algo diferente, literalmente. En un post de TikTok, la cantante dijo que nadie le comentó sobre la oferta para esta película. Es más, asegura que nadie le pidió participar en el proyecto.

Pese a todo, Lizzo no tiene ningún resentimiento, mira a la cámara y le dice a J Lo que la quiere. Por lo tanto, no está enojada... pero sí levanta sospechas, sin duda.

Recordemos que en el documental "Greatest Love Story Never Told", J Lo contó su historia de amor desde su perspectiva, aunque parece que el casting estuvo lleno de sorpresas.

Entre las celebridades que según el equipo de J Lo decidieron pasar de la película están Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Vanessa Hudgens, Snoop Dogg, SZA, Bad Bunny y Anthony Ramos.

La mayoría de las estrellas tenía conflictos legítimos. Taylor estaba tocando en el marco de su gira "Eras" y Ariana estaba filmando "Wicked" al otro lado del charco. J Lo dijo que Khloé Kardashian se echó para atrás de hacer un cameo a último minuto.

A pesar de que sus representantes están diciendo que un montón de gente pasó del proyecto, dos personas hasta el momento han dicho que eso es falso. Jennifer Coolidge habló con un paparazzi ayer y negó que tuviera algún tipo de conocimiento y ahora Lizzo está diciendo que ella tampoco tenía ni idea de esto.

Por supuesto, J Lo se las arregló para embolsar un par de grandes nombres, incluyendo Sofia Vergara, Jane Fonda, Keke Palmer, Post Malone y Trevor Noah.

Lo que bien acaba, bien está, suponemos, pero es extraño que haya dos versiones en esto.

The first assistant director on the set of "Rust" -- who handed Alec Baldwin the gun that was ultimately fired at Halyna Hutchins -- just took the stand in the armorer's trial, and he cried.

David Halls testified on behalf of the prosecution Thursday in New Mexico -- where they're going after Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on manslaughter charges ... and he gave a detailed description of his last interaction with Halyna before she died on set.

It's incredibly emotional ... he says Halyna told him she couldn't feel her legs before she passed -- and DH sheds some tears here.

The prosecution also had a producer on the film, Ryan Winterstern, testify Thursday. Prosecutors say Hannah previously claimed she spoke to 2 producers named Ryan and Nathan and told them she needed additional armorer time with Baldwin concerning his cross draw.

Remember ... Alec was working on his cross draw in the scene when his gun went off and shot a live round, hitting Halyna and ultimately taking her life. Prosecutors say Hannah shares at least some of the blame because she was responsible for the guns on set.

Anyway, Ryan was asked straight up if he remembers having that conversation with Hannah ... and he testified he didn't recall her ever bringing that to his attention, and said he probably would remember such a convo if it had occurred.

Meanwhile, in testimony from Wednesday, prosecutors asked line producer Gabrielle Pickle if she ever expressed concerns to Hannah about firearms being left unattended on set.

Gabrielle testified she twice raised the issue with Hannah ... in person and also via email.

Asked if she suggested a way of fixing the issue with unattended firearms on the "Rust" set, Gabrielle testified she proposed a logging system to Hannah, where the firearms would be checked in and checked out with each use.

Gabrielle testified Hannah shot down the suggestion ... allegedly telling Gabrielle it was "too complicated" and that Hannah was working with her own system for keeping track of the guns.

As we reported ... the prosecution's opening statement was all about Hannah being at fault for the live round that killed Halyna.

Prosecutors said Hannah did not follow proper gun safety protocols on set ... claiming she regularly left guns and ammo just lying around the set, and even allowed live ammo to infiltrate the production.

For her part, Hannah's lawyers have said she was tasked with multiple jobs on set -- armorer and prop assistant -- which was a lot to ask of her at just 24 years old.

Lizzo is pushing back on the notion she turned down a cameo for the new Jennifer Lopez movie ... and it sounds like she would've come aboard if she knew about it.

Here's the deal ... J Lo revealed all the celebs who allegedly passed on roles in her recent flick "This Is Me ... Now" in a Prime Video doc about the making of her new album ... and Lizzo's name came up as being "unavailable."

However, Lizzo's singing a different tune, literally. In a TikTok post, Lizzo claims no one told her about the movie offer. She doubles down, claiming she wasn't asked to be in the flick.

No hard feelings from Lizzo though ... she looks into the camera and tells J Lo she loves her. So, she's not really bent out of shape -- but it does raise an eyebrow, no doubt.

Remember, in the 'Greatest Love Story Never Told' doc, J Lo tells her love story through her eyes ... but it sounds like the casting journey was full of twists and turns.

Among the celebs J Lo's teams said passed on the flick ... Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Vanessa Hudgens, Snoop Dogg, SZA, Bad Bunny and Anthony Ramos.

Most of the stars had legitimate conflicts ... Taylor was doing her 'Eras' tour and Ariana was filming "Wicked" across the pond ... but J Lo claims Khloé Kardashian backed out of a cameo at the last second.

Despite her reps saying a bunch of people passed on the project -- two people so far have come forward to refute that ... JC talked to a pap just yesterday and denied any knowledge, and now -- Lizzo's saying she, too, had no clue about this.

Of course, J Lo did manage to bag a couple big names ... including Sofia Vergara, Jane Fonda, Keke Palmer, Post Malone and Trevor Noah.

All's well that ends well, we suppose ... but it is weird that there are two different accounts of this.

Adam Sandler's just like the rest of us ... turns out, not even he can keep his cool around Taylor Swift.

Speaking on SiriusXM's "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend," Adam and host Conan discussed how 21st-century celebs didn't quite leave them fangirling like the ones from back in the day did -- but according to the actor ... one modern star broke that rule -- Tay Tay!!

Adam explained that he still gets "a little f***ing jumpy" around the singer cause of what she means to his teen daughters Sadie and Sunny ... and he doesn't want to risk blowing their chance to have an awesome experience by acting all awkward around TS.

In fact, it's like his comedy movie characters come to life when he's trying to get Taylor's attention ... 'cause he says he's super loud and excited!!

Conan totally got where Adam was coming from here, BTW ... adding TS was on a whole other level now with her superstardom reaching crazy heights and her Travis Kelce romance hitting headlines.

Adam went on to compare Swift's success to "Beatlemania" in the '60s ... adding she has so many smash hits, and there's not a word his kids don't know.

He's had plenty of opportunities to sing along with them, too ... last year, he took his daughters to Taylor's "Eras" tour in L.A., and they also hit up the "The Eras Tour: The Movie" premiere. So yeah, AS is a well-anointed Swifite via proxy, thanks to his kids.