George Lemore Tony Todd Is the Only 'Candyman' ... 'Leave It Alone'!!!

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CANDYMAN LIVES ON!!!
TMZ.com

George Lemore, who starred in the 1995 film "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh," doesn't think anyone should pick up the villain's famous hook in the aftermath of Tony Todd's death.

We caught up with the actor a week after his former costar died of natural causes at the age of 69, prompting George to advocate to the powers that be to leave the 'Candyman' franchise alone.

As George put it ... the horror series, which dropped its first film back in 1992, should be left as a classic and shouldn't be rebooted again ... declaring it's comparable to other greats in the popular genre.

'Gladiator II' This Movie Keeps Us All Entertained ... Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal & More at Premiere

The "Gladiator II" cast will soon enter the Box Office Colosseum ... but, for now, they're simply enjoying the run-up to the wide release of the film -- attending the premiere in London.

Denzel Washington led the way for the 'G2' stars ... King Kong ain't got a thing on his outfit -- looking handsome in a plain black suit.

Pedro Pascal showed off a little more skin ... wearing his black shirt open to the middle of his chest, his sister Lux standing alongside him.

Ariana Grande No Good Deed Goes Unpunished ... Sparks Debate With 'Wicked' Lyric Call Out

Ariana Grande has left fans clamoring for answers after calling out one inaccurate "Wicked" lyric ... with some debating the pop star's stance on the song.

Here's what went down ... Wednesday, the "Wicked" movie uploaded to Instagram a snippet of Ariana's rendition of "Popular" in the musical movie ... slapping the lyrics over the first look of the scene.

However, the upload seemingly had one glaring error .... this according to Glinda, herself. In the comments on the Instagram post, Ariana chimed in and revealed the word "poise" in the lyric video should actually be "ploys."

Krasinski, Damon, Affleck Welcome To The Club, John ... Sexiest Men Alive!!!

John Krasinski has a seat at the table with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck ... joining them for dinner after being anointed People magazine's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive.

The actor broke bread with Matt and Ben in New York City, hitting the town Tuesday night after accepting the big honor on Stephen Colbert's late-night TV show.

It's pretty cool to see John hanging with Matt and Ben ... Affleck was named People's Sexiest Man Alive way back in 2002 and Damon took home the honor in 2007 ... so these guys have another thing in common now, as all 3 are originally from the Boston metro area.

Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Pitch-Perfect Together ... Sing 'I'm Every Woman' Live on 'Today'

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A WICKED DUET
NBC

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are proving they're perfectly in-sync ... busting out into song during their recent appearance on "TODAY."

Check it out ... the stars of the upcoming "Wicked" film sit down with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb to discuss their bond after making the musical movie -- and give a taste of their pitch-perfect sound together.

When asked by Hoda if there's any song they can't help but sing when around one another, the on-screen besties confess "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan is a favorite ... jumping into a live rendition of the song.

John Krasinski I'm The Sexiest Man Alive!!!

John Krasinski was a big winner Tuesday ... getting anointed People magazine's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive and accepting the honor on Stephen Colbert's late-night show.

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Krasinski was pictured on the cover of People wearing a T-shirt and jeans while sitting on the bumper of an NYC yellow taxi.

Beyond his good looks, John has been crushing it on the silver screen over the years, enjoying starring roles in many Hollywood films such as "A Quiet Place," "If" ... and the "Jack Ryan" TV series. And, let's not forget his big break in the TV sitcom, "The Office."

Homeless 'Air Bud' Creator Fundraising Effort Will Save Him From the Streets ... And He's Already Got a Doggone Idea

Kevin DiCicco, who is known for creating the canine character Air Bud in the movie of the same name, is no longer facing homelessness thanks to an outpouring of donations ... leaving him inspired for a comeback.

He tells TMZ ... an old pal launched a GoFundMe after learning of his situation, and it's skyrocketed to over $11K in donations after we highlighted his story. Kevin says he is overcome with shock and gratitude over the generosity.

However, he is feeling most relieved that he's no longer bound for the streets ... as he's set to receive the funds sometime next week.

'Back to the Future' Pump the Brakes on a 4th Film and a Reboot!!! Writer Insists The Franchise Is Complete

"Back to the Future" fans and Universal Pictures have been asking for a new time-traveling chapter for nearly 35 years, but it ain't happenin' ... like, EVER, the franchise co-creator and writer tells TMZ.

Bob Gale tells TMZ ... 'BTTF' fans and Universal Pictures can stop wondering -- and definitely stop asking -- 'cause there will NEVER be a fourth film. And just as important, there will NEVER be a reboot or a spinoff.

We caught up with writer and franchise co-creator after director Robert Zemeckis recently said he dug the idea of turning "Back to the Future: The Musical" into a film, much the same way "Hamilton" was done.

Megan Fox 4-5 Months Along in Pregnancy!!!

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly’s baby news has everyone buzzing -- and we've learned she’s pretty far along in her pregnancy!

Sources tell us the actress is already 4 to 5 months along ... meaning she'll be due sometime in March. While the couple already knows the baby’s sex, they’re keeping it under wraps for now -- so no word yet on whether it’s a boy or a girl.

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We're told Megan's feeling confident and healthy during this pregnancy, which is definitely a relief after the heartbreak of her miscarriage, which she revealed last year.

Denzel Washington I'm Doing 'Black Panther 3' Before I Retire!!!

Denzel Washington's got one legendary acting résumé -- and it looks like he's gearing up to cap off his career with a series of epic roles, including an iconic Marvel flick.

The Oscar winner shared he’s not sure how many more roles he’ll take on, especially as he’s being super selective as he approaches 70 -- but dished that director Ryan Coogler's writing him a part in the third 'Black Panther' movie.

Denzel dropped the news on Australia’s "Today" ... casually listing off a few roles he's planning to play before he officially throws in the towel -- "Othello" ... an untitled Netflix film about the historical Carthaginian general Hannibal, directed by Antoine Fuqua ... "King Lear" ... and a Steve McQueen film. It's unclear in what order these 4 films will be produced -- but the real mic-drop moment is his 'Black Panther' tease tucked right in there.

'Wicked' Star Jonathan Bailey My Fans Keep Me On My Toes ... Signs Toe-Sucking Scene Pic

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TOE-TALLY INTO IT
X / @getawaycarlos13

Worlds are colliding for Jonathan Bailey ... he's starring in the new "Wicked" movie with Ariana Grande, but fans won't let him forget his toe-sucking scene in a hit TV series.

Here's the deal ... Jonathan was at Monday's "Wicked" premiere in Mexico City when some folks in the crowd got his attention ... with a printed-out photo of his infamous "Fellow Travelers" scene where he sucks costar Matt Bomer's toes.

Footage from the funny exchange shows Jonathan walking past a group of fans before stopping in his tracks when he notices someone holding up the toe-sucking print. His eyes light up and he happily autographs the photo, then poses for a pic.

Diddy Party Guest Speaks About Minors Present at 'Freak Off'

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MINORS IN ATTENDANCE
TMZ Studios

UPDATE

10:54 AM PT -- Diddy's attorneys tell TMZ ... "Ms. Tanea Wallace has no credibility and her claims about 'freak offs' and minors are completely and categorically false. As we've said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous. Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that the accusations against Mr. Combs are pure fiction."

A woman who says she was at what she believes was a Diddy "Freak Off" says there were minors present ... minors surrounded by adults.

Tanea Wallace, an aspiring singer-songwriter, says she was invited to Diddy's party by a Saudi Prince who flew her from L.A. to Miami. She spoke with TMZ as part of our new documentary, "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: Inside the Freak Offs."

Tanea describes in vivid detail how she observed clusters of people having sex ... many of whom seemed high on drugs or alcohol. Mind you, she says this was at 7 AM ... Tanea says the party had been going all night.

Armie Hammer My Mom Gifted Me A Birthday Snip-Snip!!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARMIE
The Armie HammerTime Podcast

Armie Hammer’s 38th birthday gift was ... a vasectomy -- and if that doesn’t raise eyebrows, get this -- his mom picked up the tab.

The actor's mom, Dru, joined him on his 'Armie HammerTime Podcast,' explaining that while she knows loads of women would love to have his baby, as a Catholic, she’d prefer he wait until marriage.

Realistically, though, she knows that the ship has sailed -- he's already got 2 kids with his ex-wife -- so she gifted him the ultimate "just in case" gesture to avoid any surprises.

Kathy Bates 'I Enjoy Not Having Boobs'!!! Ditched Reconstruction

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WEIGHT OFF MY CHEST
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Kathy Bates is getting real about why she skipped breast reconstruction surgery after her cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy, and her reasoning is simple -- less is more.

The actress explained on the "MeSsy" podcast with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler that her breasts were so heavy -- in fact, 10 lbs when they were removed during her double mastectomy in 2012 – that getting rid of them felt like a huge relief.

Kathy admitted her decision raised a few eyebrows, but she made it clear that after dealing with big breasts her whole life, she actually enjoys the weight off her chest.

John Mayer & McG Makin' a Rainbow Connection ... To Buy Jim Henson Studios!!!

The Muppets' famed home in Hollywood will have new owners soon ... John Mayer and McG are set to buy The Jim Henson Company Lot -- after the Church of Scientology had reportedly been eyeing the property, TMZ has confirmed.

Mayer's rep confirmed the singer and the director are "under contract to buy Henson Studios" ... which was once A&M Studios, and Charlie Chaplin Studios before that -- making it an important piece of Hollywood history.

John and McG are shelling out a whopping $60 million to nab the deed to the Tinseltown tourist spot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

TMZ TV Hot Take: Mattel Accidentally Puts Porn Link On 'Wicked' Packaging

Barbie would never, but Mattel definitely did -- accidentally slapping a NSFW website link on the back of its Elphaba and Glinda dolls.

TMZ broke down Mattel’s major blunder -- and let’s just say, looks like this one's gonna have some serious legal fallout 'cause no one’s happy about the link leading to a porn site instead of Ariana Grande’s latest flick.

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NOT SAFE FOR OZ
TMZ.com

Check out the clip ... our team dives into everything from Mattel's apology to whether store employees should just grab a Sharpie and cover up the link, or if Mattel should send their own people to handle the fix.

One thing’s for sure ... we’re really hoping none of these kids try to lie about their ages at the porn site’s age paywall -- because that would be a whole other mess!

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