Movies

Gayle King says Malia Obama doesn't need her father's famous last name to make it in Hollywood ... because her work speaks for itself.

We got Gayle in New York City on Thursday and our photog asked her about Malia dropping Obama from the credits in her movies and rolling with her first and middle names.

Malia wants people to focus on her art and not her Obama heritage.

Malia Obama thinks dropping her famous last name from the credits of her movies will make people forget who her parents are ... but we've got some debate about this in today's TMZ TV Hot Take.

Barack Obama's daughter is directing movies now and going by Malia Ann ... but Harvey and Charles aren't convinced that's going to be enough to throw folks off her scent.

We discussed it all on "TMZ Live" ... including a look at how nepotism seems to be changing in Hollywood these days ... at least with the younger generations.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Scarlett Johansson was on a mission, gathering her 'Avengers' squad for an urgent pow-wow -- and it wasn't about saving the world this time, but to endorse Kamala Harris.

The superhero squad was back in action, with Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Danai Gurira, and Paul Bettany joining ScarJo to rally voters against Trump, all just days before the big election showdown.

The superhero squad hyped the video, dubbing it the "Election Endgame" and going ga-ga over their newly formed tagline, "Down For Democracy."

Kylie Jenner's bringing all the Demi Moore vibes this Halloween, totally nailing one of the star’s most iconic photo shoots.

Take a look -- Kylie went all in, recreating Demi's legendary "Striptease" pose from '96, with one leg crossed to cover herself, serving major sultriness right at the camera.

Kylie's giving full-on throwback -- windswept brunette locks, smoldering stare, every bit the spitting image of Demi's iconic look.

Damien Leone says his new slasher flick "Terrifier 3" is going to spark a horror film renaissance in Hollywood ... predicting his box office success will convince the major studios to loosen up.

The "Terrifier 3" director joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked him about all the blood and gore in his killer clown slasher.

Moviegoers have been vomiting and leaving theaters early due to the unrated film's graphic scenes ... and he tells us that's actually good for business ... similar to the release of the original "Exorcist" back in the day.

12:47 PM PT -- The video of Megan Thee Stallion admitting to lying to Gayle King about having sex with Tory Lanez is new, but a source close to Tory's criminal shooting case tells TMZ ... Meg testified during the trial that she had a sexual relationship with Lanez.

10:32 AM PT -- Megan Thee Stallion's admission she lied to Gayle King about having sex with Tory Lanez is catching the attention of Tory's legal team.

Ceasar McDowell, CEO of Unite the People, the nonprofit law firm that reps Tory, tells TMZ ... "The fact that Megan lied about her sexual relationship with Tory obviously makes her an unreliable witness. If someone lies in front of millions of people, how can you trust what they say any other time?"

Sydney Sweeney is officially Hollywood's hottest commodity, and her bank account is sizzling too -- she's now one of the highest-paid actresses of her generation, thanks to some major film paydays.

The actress recently locked in a sweet deal with Lionsgate for the thriller "The Housemaid," scoring a hefty $7.5 million salary -- putting her right up there with top dogs like her "Euphoria" costar Zendaya, who raked in $10 million for her tennis flick, "Challengers."

Unlike Zendaya, Sydney didn’t kick things off as a child star, so her rapid ascent to the top of Hollywood's A-list over the past few years is seriously impressive.

Halloween is still not even close to half over, but Macaulay Culkin might have already won it -- not only did he crush his Joe Burrow costume ... but he actually got a shoutout over it from the NFL star himself!

The "Home Alone" actor dressed on Wednesday as the Cincinnati quarterback for the October holiday ... completing his 'fit with a No. 9 jersey, some orange pants and a Bengals helmet.

Culkin was so happy with how it all turned out, he shared two snaps of him in the ensemble on his social media pages ... writing in the captions, "Game on @joeyb_9."

Barack Obama says his daughters are trying to pave their own path to success without using their prominent last name -- especially Malia, who went so far as to change her credit in her directorial film debut.

The 44th president sat down with hosts Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark on "The Pivot" podcast for a wide-ranging interview, during which Barack addressed how his daughters Sasha and Malia deal with having such a famous last name.

Clark was first to bring up the subject, asking Barack if he and his wife, Michelle, have discussions with their girls about making it on their own.

The Menendez brothers are on a roll lately with a possible chance at future freedom -- and TMZ has the low-down on what could be their final Halloween in the slammer.

A source within the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Erik and Lyle are all set for a Halloween movie night in the clink, where they’ll likely be cozying up to the OG 1990 version of Stephen King's "IT."

We're told the bros and their cell block buddies at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego are whipping up a classic prison treat for the occasion -- "candy salad," which is basically a mixed bag of every candy available in the commissary thrown into one giant bowl.

Zoë Kravitz was spotted out and about in New York City, making her first public appearance since the news hit that she and fiancé Channing Tatum pulled the plug on their engagement.

Despite the surprise split, the actress seemed to be in good spirits as she strolled down the streets of the Big Apple Wednesday.

Zoë hasn't directly addressed the breakup yet ... but it's worth noting she kept her left hand tucked away in a super oversized coat as she went about her day.

Saweetie is all for her fans dressing up as her for Halloween, but she's going a completely different route with her costume ... Heath Ledger's Joker!!!

The "Tap In" rapper went full Clown Princess of Crime Wednesday when she digitally inserted herself into the classic film "The Dark Knight" as The Joker ... y'know, the part where Michael Jai White's character had to pick his mans up!!!

Her makeup, mannerisms and hunched posture were all spot-on ... Heath famously won an Oscar for his performance -- Saweetie's future looks bright!!!

Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz might not be together anymore, but they're still gonna be in a gang together, we're told ... 'cause neither of them are dropping out of the new flick "Alpha Gang."

Here's the deal ... yesterday, Deadline announced the cast for the new movie produced by and starring Cate Blanchett. Cast members include Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough -- and Tatum and Kravitz.

Despite the potential awkwardness of sharing the screen with an ex, production sources tell TMZ Channing and Zoë will absolutely be continuing their roles in "Alpha Gang," in spite of the split.

Kylie Jenner's Halloween costume is out of this world ... 'cause she posed for a hot photo shoot as '60s sci-fi legend "Barbarella"!!!

The model/mogul posted several pics of her as the vintage character on her Instagram Wednesday morning ... first posing in a silver top with a white silk skirt -- and baring her toned stomach as she looks off into the distance.

Another shot captures the youngest KarJenner sister in a strawberry-blonde wig -- blaster in hand, elbow resting on a stocking-covered leg.

11:31 AM PT -- Jenna Dewan's fiancé, Steve Kazee, is clarifying his cryptic laughing post he shared in the aftermath of Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz's split ... defending his upload had nothing to do with JD's ex.

Steve posted on his Instagram Stories Wednesday amid the growing controversy ... explaining he was simply laughing about his houseplants.

He wrote ... "A guy can't laugh about a houseplant on Tik Tok in todays [sic] world I see ..."

Mike Myers could be a legit spy ... 'cause the "Austin Powers" star recently walked the streets of London as an ideal man of mystery.

The iconic 'SNL' alum and movie star strolled through the capital of England completely unnoticed Tuesday ... alongside his wife, Kelly Tisdale.

MM appeared to be checking out upscale spots in St. James, including Fortnum & Mason -- known for gourmet groceries -- and Selfridges -- a fancy department store.