Movies

Los Angeles County's new District Attorney Nathan Hochman was sworn in by Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A.

Hochman is replacing outgoing D.A. George Gascón, who Nathan says was way too soft on violent and repeat offenders during his 4-year term ... and apparently voters agreed.

It's fitting ... Hochman says he's going to terminate a lot of the policies he calls lenient that Gascón was known for ... like not prosecuting drug possession and trespassing offenses ... and he's turning to the "Terminator" star -- and former California governor -- to get his first day in office started.

Ariana Grande can't believe "Wicked" defied the odds by becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical movie adaptation ever ... calling the flick's growing popularity "surreal."

We caught up with the pop star outside CBS Studios in NYC on Tuesday, where she met with her adoring fans and signed a number of autographs -- feeling as "Popular" as ever.

However, Ari made it clear she's blown away by audiences' response to the movie ... noting she and her "Wicked" peers are all moved by the worldwide attention.

Cynthia Erivo is doubling down on her singing in theaters stance ... so much so, she's teasing an appearance at the upcoming sing-along screenings.

We caught up with the "Wicked" star in NYC, where she made it clear she's excited for the sing-along version of the movie to hit theaters Christmas Day. In fact, she told us she "might attend one" ... though, didn't share specifics on the where and the when.

This is likely due to safety, given the fact "Wicked" continues to dominate box offices across the globe ... sparking quite a bit of awards chatter for the Broadway veteran.

Awards season is well underway with the 2024 Gotham Awards bringing out a number of notable stars ... including Nicole Kidman, Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet, among others.

The industry event, which took place in New York City Monday evening, celebrated the best independent projects in film and television ... meaning blockbusters like "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" were not at the forefront of people's minds.

However, this didn't mean there wasn't star power in attendance ... as we mentioned, Zendaya popped by in a striking white halter gown -- her film "Challengers" was up for best feature at the award show. She also took home a prize herself, winning the Spotlight Tribute for her work in the sexually-charged tennis drama.

Malcolm Barrett, known for his TV roles in "The Boys" and "Average Joe," is currently under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a woman contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department last weekend, claiming that after a night of drinking with Malcolm, she woke up in bed to find him touching her. She claims the actor then had sex with her against her will.

According to our sources, the woman told deputies that she and Barrett had been friends for months, and the night started off pretty normal with drinks in L.A. ... with the drinks continuing at his place before the alleged assault.

American actor Paul Le Mat was in his 20s when he became known for playing John Milner -- the drag racing, rebellious "King of the Strip" and car enthusiast-- in the 1973 film "American Graffiti."

Paul shared the big screen with Ron Howard as the recent high school graduate and class president gearing up for college, Steve, Richard Dreyfuss as Steve's bestie with the college scholarship, Curt and Harrison Ford as the cocky out-of-town challenger proving his Chevy is the best, Bob.

Le Mat's role in "American Graffiti" landed him the lead role in "Aloha, Bobby and Rose" in 1975.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are getting in the holiday spirit ... shopping for the perfect tree to decorate and surround with presents.

The "Wicked" stars, who are also dating, were on the hunt for a Christmas tree over the weekend in New York City ... stopping the search to take a photo with actress Ally Bouska.

The tree excursion comes amid a super successful run for Ariana and Ethan's musical ... the flick is now the highest-grossing movie based on a musical of all time ... raking in $263.1 million and counting.

Planned Parenthood is jumping on the "Wicked" hype train ... using the popular musical as a way to break the ice about sexually transmitted infections.

Ya gotta see the latest social media post from Planned Parenthood ... a play on the "Wicked" musical poster posing this all-important question ... "Is your discharge green?"

The nonprofit, which provides sexual healthcare across the country, gets even naughtier in the caption, writing ... "If you're experiencing wicked sexual and reproductive health care concerns, Planned Parenthood health centers are holding space to help — even if your p***y's green."

Kristin Chenoweth may have nailed Glinda on Broadway, but she was all about a wicked smooth transition while passing the baton to Ariana Grande on the set of the "Wicked" movie.

The stage star shared some behind-the-scenes magic on X, posting pics of her and Ariana rocking matching custom pink Glinda jackets while filming ... explaining she had surprised her with the outfits as a "little physical memento of our 'passing of the wand.'"

In true Glinda form, Kristin said she was all about leading Ariana down the yellow brick road -- or any road, really -- and couldn't be prouder of her!

Bad Bunny's giving golf tips to Happy Gilmore ... because the rapper is filming scenes with Adam Sandler for the upcoming sequel -- and it looks like he's a caddy.

Check out these behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Adam's "Happy Gilmore 2" ... Bad Bunny's in full costume and makeup, dressed up like a caddy on the golf course with Happy.

Adam's rocking the trademark 'HG' fit ... a Boston Bruins hockey jersey, baggy pants and some Timberland boots.

Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" album was a surprise drop but his timing has proved to be perfect ... he has the top album in the country, even bigger than the more promoted "Wicked" soundtrack!!!

Billboard rolled out the final tally for K. Dot's new age West Coast classic on Monday, which moved 319K album equivalent units ... making a Munchkin out of the 139K units the "Wicked" soundtrack sold!!!

Maybe they should have let fans sing in theaters ... could've spread the word about the OST.

Jeremy Renner’s big moment at the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade hit a speed bump -- literally -- when the official grand marshal vehicle dramatically broke down as the procession kicked off.

Check out these pics -- Jeremy, hand in hand with his 11-year-old daughter Ava, had no choice but to walk the rest of the way with his family members when their classic car conked out just a couple of blocks into the 3.2-mile route.

Jeremy, who was honored as this year’s grand marshal, had a huge smile on his face as he made the best of a rough situation, proving that a little hiccup couldn't dampen his holiday spirit.

"Moana 2" showed just how far it would go over Thanksgiving weekend ... defying "Wicked" at the box office by a head-turning amount.

Disney's new movie debuted to a whopping $221 million domestically over the five-day weekend ... smashing previous Thanksgiving weekend box office records.

Moviegoers overseas have also been flocking to theaters to see what the "Moana" sequel has in store, landing at a projected total of $165.3 million in the international market.

Angelina Jolie's career is like her ex-husband's famous flick ... a case of professional Benjamin Button Syndrome -- 'cause she says she's getting better jobs as she gets older.

The actress sat down for an interview with The Times -- published Saturday -- and, she says that though many actresses will say they get less desirable roles as they age, she doesn't feel the same.

Angelina says, "I’ve got better work as I’ve got older. I don’t think about it in terms of roles offered but in terms of life experience you contribute."

Wayne Northrop -- a longtime television actor who appeared in over 1000 episodes of the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The star's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, tells us ... Northrop passed away at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home -- an assisted living facility for those in the film industry.

Northrop was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six years ago ... hence the need for assisted living care.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson spent a heartfelt day giving thanks to the troops and their families in Hawaii during the very successful opening weekend of "Moana 2."

The actor and former WWE superstar, who voices Maui in the Disney franchise, visited Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu on Saturday to connect with members of the military community.

Johnson shared moments from his visit on X writing, "Boundlessly grateful to all our military men and women & their families for their service. A great day to look you in your eyes and shake your hands 🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 and loved all the daps, hugs, tears, and selfies too. 👊🏾🤗🥹🤳🏾"