Movies

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are making their fans a lot of money ... because folks who went to see their new "Wicked" movie are selling theater merch online for big bucks.

Movie theaters across the country are hawking all sorts of collectible "Wicked" merchandise on opening weekend, and the memorabilia is already finding its way to eBay ... with some people shelling out fat stacks to get their hands on this moment in pop culture.

The high-end stuff is going for about $200 ... that's the price for a couple of popcorn buckets and wands from a Cinemark showing.

Actor-comedian Paul Rodriguez's best friend died in his L.A.-area home Thursday ... and cops are saying the death looks natural, with nothing nefarious suspected at this point.

We spoke with Paul ... who tells us his longtime friend Donald Serrato had just sold his house in Torrance and was moving to Montana -- but, before he moved, he needed a place to stay for a few days.

PR gave his friend a place to stay, and -- this morning -- he left around 6 AM to go work on a movie. He called Serrato around noon to see if he wanted to grab lunch, but received no response.

Awards season is around the corner, and you can tell as Hollywood's biggest stars stepped out for various events this week ... bringing all of the star power to Tinseltown.

For starters, Paul Mescal's press tour for "Gladiator II" has yet to slow down, with the Irish actor stepping out in a crisp blazer and tan shirt for a special screening of his action movie in NYC.

Troye Sivan popped up at the ARIA Awards this week, rocking some clean neutrals for the occasion and a pair of shades ... which makes sense given the fact it's spring down in Australia.

Before you grab your popcorn and watch the wickedness go down, see what Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Cynthia Erivo and more of the 'Wicked' cast were up to on the magical set.

Grab your brooms and fly behind the scenes with our action-packed 'Wicked' gallery!

As we know, Ariana’s stepping into Glinda’s sparkly shoes -- and of course, she made sure to keep it picture-perfect, sneaking in makeup touch-ups between takes.

Connie Nielsen's giving hope to Denzel Washington fans everywhere ... 'cause while the actor says he's nearing retirement, Nielsen says she won't let him quit acting.

We caught up with the "Gladiator II" star in New York City Thursday ... and, we had to ask her how she feels about working with DW in what he says may be one of the last movies of his career.

Watch the vid to the end ... Connie says she's not gonna let him give up the craft ... so Denzel fans can rest easy -- 'cause it sounds like she's on the case.

"Wicked" premiered on Broadway more than 20 years ago ... but, it seems the team behind the film still found a way to shock diehard fans -- 'cause people are posting vids of their friends losing their minds.

The biggest movie of the year opened in wide release in the U.S. Thursday night ... and TikTok is already populating with fan reactions to the movie that's leaving them awestruck.

No spoiler alert here BTW ... 'cause it's unclear exactly which scenes are making people react this way -- though the movie is supposed to be a faithful adaptation of the musical, so if you know the show, you might not be as shocked as these viewers.

Ariana Grande is serving a whole lotta gratitude as "Wicked" finally hits theaters -- gushing over fans and even poking fun at her press tour emotions, saying, "Who’s surprised?"

The singer got real with fans on IG Stories Friday ... flipping the script on their gratitude, saying that while they thank her for changing their lives, she says they’ve massively impacted hers, too -- helping her in countless ways over the years.

Ariana made it clear she wouldn’t be where she is today without them, saying her supporters have held her hand and healed her heart over the past decade.

Dwayne Johnson's bringing his movie star boogie to Oahu ... busting a move with his beautiful dance partner -- his mother, Ata Johnson.

The actor hit Aulani -- a Disney resort on the west side of the Hawaiian island -- where the world premiere of 'M2' took place Thursday evening ... and, he made it a family affair with his daughters, wife Lauren Hashian, and his mom.

The Rock, who plays the character Maui in the movie, has been famous for a long time ... which probably helped put his mom at ease -- 'cause she started showing off her dance moves, grooving to the beat as her son looked on.

Leonardo DiCaprio tried to go incognito as he usually does in public while exiting a Fiji island hotel --  but he first had to slip past a loud music ceremony, and it wasn't so easy.

Check out this video posted to TikTok ... the legendary actor is dressed in his customary undercover garb — wearing an all-black outfit with a matching baseball cap and shades.

Leo appears to have already checked out of the hotel as he strolls through the lobby and makes a call on his cell phone.

Jonathan Majors' legal drama with his ex, Grace Jabbari, is over ... 'cause she just dropped her defamation and assault lawsuit -- and, she can't bring it again.

According to documents filed Thursday, the parties filed a stipulation stating "all claims against Defendant in the above-captioned action are hereby dismissed with prejudice."

Basically, Grace agreed to drop the claims in her lawsuit ... and, by dismissing them with prejudice, it means they can’t be filed again.

Years in the making and "Wicked" has finally hit theaters! Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo may have taken over as Glinda and Elphaba, but other big celebs are puttin' up a fight dressed as the iconic duo ...

Living in the world of Oz, stars like Drew Barrymore and Paris Hilton served up Glinda The Good Witch, while Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie defied gravity with their on-theme looks.

Of course, the OG's, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, set the bar high on Broadway with the tiaras and green skin back in the early 2000s (left), but Ariana and Cynthia are bringing their own fashion pizzazz to the big screen (right).

Don't count out the rest of Hollywood from getting in the "Wicked" spirit ...

To kick things off, American actor Spencer Treat Clark was only 12 years old when he landed the role of Lucius Verus -- Commodus' nephew who inspects gladiators through bars and idolizes Maximus -- in the iconic 2000 film "Gladiator."

Spencer was part of an ensemble cast including Russell Crowe as the strong and fearless warrior who wants to free the slaves, Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix as the ruthless Roman emperor who takes the throne after killing his father, Commodus, and Connie Nielsen as Maximus' former lover and Commudus' older sister, Lucilla.

Cuba Gooding Jr. understands what Jussie Smollett went through in his ongoing ordeal with the justice system after the Illinois State Supreme Court's ruling today ... pointing out how celebrities endure sensationalized treatment in the public eye.

The controversial actor stopped by "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss Jussie Smollett's conviction being overturned today ... and, Cuba says Smollett's experience shows the climate we're in today.

Gooding adds he knows how tough it is to go into a courthouse as a celebrity ... pointing to the intense public reaction to every twist and turn of a trial before a final outcome is delivered, and in its aftermath.

"Gladiator II" is one of the most anticipated films of the year, with a whopping $250 million budget -- and the cast definitely found time to live it up between those epic battle scenes.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, among others, were living their best lives on set in Morocco, England, and Malta -- where most of the film was shot, including the iconic Colosseum, which was recreated at Fort Ricasoli.

Clearly, it was an intense 49-day shoot, because Pedro and Paul were snapped cooling off in the ocean -- talk about a well-deserved splash break!

Move over, Regina George -- Andy Cohen just slid into the iconic spot alongside Lindsay Lohan and Lacey Chabert as they recreated a legendary "Mean Girls" scene.

On Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live," Lacey -- AKA Gretchen -- brought us back to high school, delivering the lunchroom scene where the Plastics laid down the rules for new girl Cady.

It's comedy gold -- Andy, rocking a blonde wig, absolutely nails his Regina moment -- totally obsessed with calories, and storming off for some cheese fries while Lacey keeps rattling off the rules.

Netflix's new holiday rom-com, "Hot Frosty," is sure to melt icy relations in the bedroom for some couples this winter ... this according to a renowned sex therapist.

Dr. Laura Berman, who is best known for her show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, tells TMZ ... the seasonal flick will likely help guys get laid during the winter months -- which is a notorious time for dry spells.

According to the doctor, studies show people's sex drives decrease in the winter months, especially around the holidays ... likely due to the stress and lack of alone time with families being home more. Depression is far more common in the winter, too.