Star Wars

The Force and the force -- LAPD, that is -- will be extra strong in Hollywood for Thursday night's premiere screenings of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

We're told more than 20 extra uniformed officers and frequent neighborhood patrols will be deployed around the biggest movie theaters in the heart of Hollywood. Undercover cops will be on the beat as well.

A source at Grauman's Chinese Theatre tells us it's also bringing in private security from an outside firm. There's no specific threat -- we're told the extra muscle's necessary to smoothly move the massive number of moviegoers coming to get a piece of 'Jedi.'

We're told they're nearly sold out ... for the whole weekend! Get there early.

Prince William and Prince Harry were royal guests on the red carpet of Europe's premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" ... and the force looks very strong with these 2.

The princes suited up for the London event Tuesday night and cruised past a line of Stormtroopers before being greeted by one of the film's stars -- BB-8.

The Royal bros are more than just your typical 'Star Wars' fans, too ... they actually filmed cameos for the movie last year. Word is, they play Stormtroopers who appear alongside Tom Hardy's character while guarding John Boyega's character, Finn.

So keep a lookout for a couple 'troopers who look just a tad out of place.

Carrie Fisher's French bulldog, Gary, is more than a famous pooch looking to make a buck -- he's downright therapeutic for Carrie's throngs of fans ... and his new owner's seen it happen, firsthand.

We got Carrie's former assistant, Corby McCoin, leaving Basix Cafe in West Hollywood ... with Gary, of course. We asked her about the standoff with Disney and Carrie's family -- primarily her daughter Billie Lourd and ex-husband Bryan Lourd.

We broke the story ... Billie and Bryan think Gary's public appearances cheapen Carrie's legacy, and want Corby to keep Gary out of the spotlight.

Corby says she isn't in it for the money, but adds it's clear to her now ... Gary provides emotional support to fans who are missing Carrie.

Carrie Fisher's French bulldog, Gary, is one of the most popular pooches on the planet, but his public appearances have upset Carrie's family ... TMZ has learned.

As you'll recall ... when Fisher died, Gary went to her assistant, Corby McCoin. There have been numerous stories out that Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd has the pooch, but it's not true. Corby has had the dog since Carrie died.

Now here's the conflict -- Corby wants to take Gary to various functions, including ComicCons, where people can interact with Gary and somehow feel closer to Carrie. We're told people over at Lucasfilm contacted the folks at ComicCon and asked them to block the appearance, which they did.

There was another event last April in Orlando which held a "Star Wars" celebration. We're told Mark Hamill wanted Gary to come out on stage with him. We're told the P.R. Dept. for "Star Wars" shut it down because Billie didn't want it ... and there have been other failed attempts as well.

Sources connected to Billie tell TMZ ... she and her dad, CAA head Bryan Lourd, fully understand how much Gary meant to Carrie, but when she died Gary was really nothing more than a dog, and they didn't want the animal to define the memory of Carrie ... they felt it cheapened it.

We're also told Bryan asked Corby to delete Gary's Instagram, which has more than 160,000 followers ... again, because he feels it cheapens Carrie's legacy.

We're even told Bryan offered Corby $250 a month in return for not parading Gary around, possibly for money, but Corby declined.

We broke the story ... 'Last Jedi' director Rian Johnson says the upcoming film will pay homage to Fisher's beloved dog, so no matter what -- he's still got some time left in the limelight.

Carrie Fisher's dog was such an adorable companion on the set of 'Last Jedi' it was only a matter of time until the 'Star Wars' flick paid homage to him.

'Last Jedi' director Rian Johnson was at LAX Thursday and he tells our guy exactly why Gary the Dog inspired a character in the highly-anticipated movie. It's easy to see how Gary's likeness charmed his way onto the big screen ... he had us here, here and here.

Rian swears he's told no one about the plot points ... but Ram Bergman confesses he spilled the beans here and there.

Mark Hamill's no longer two-wheeling it ... and he's even got a pep to his step.

Luke Skywalker was back on his feet Thursday on his way to 'GMA' to promote 'The Last Jedi.' Mark stopped on his way out to sign autographs, took a pic with a fan and even struck a pose.

It was a huge difference from when we saw him at JFK Monday ... slumped in a wheelchair and doing his best to cover his mug. As we reported, Mark said he was just trying to avoid autograph seekers who "gouge true fans later on eBay."

Billie Lourd could be shopping for a Grammy night outfit soon ... now that her late mom Carrie Fisher's been posthumously nominated.

We got Billie in Bev Hills Tuesday, hours after Carrie's 2016 memoir, "The Princess Diarist," earned a spoken word nom. She was beaming about the honor, and wouldn't rule out accepting the award for her mom ... if she wins, of course. Use the Force, Billie.

Speaking of which, we tried to get some 'Last Jedi' scoop from Billie, but apparently being Princess Leia's spawn isn't even enough for Disney to risk spoilers getting out.

2:20 PM PT -- Mark says he was just trying to avoid autograph seekers by rolling out of the airport in a wheelchair because they "gouge true fans later on eBay." He included the hashtags #TheyCanGoForceThemselves and #NoMoreAirportSignings.

Luke Skywalker's looking more Vader-like than ever -- and we're not referring to the rumors about 'The Last Jedi' plot.

Mark Hamill, and his little dog, rolled through JFK airport Monday night in a wheelchair. Mark did his best to cover his face with a dark hat -- not unlike a certain Dark side villain.

Fans greeted Mark while he cradled his little dog, and fired off questions about 'Jedi,' but he seems to know -- talk not he must, with the movie opening less than 3 weeks away.

Unclear if Luke's actually injured, or just trying to keep a low profile. We've gotta call in to a galaxy far, far away.

We'll let ya know if Yoda, or Darth, responds.

If you don't think 'Star Wars' and fashion go hand-in-hand, step back and watch Disney's marketing geniuses go to work ... with the likes of Kendall Jenner and the Hadid sisters!

Kendall, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber all dropped into a galaxy far, far away for a spread in the November issue of Harper's Bazaar.

It's actually pretty cool -- Harper's Bazaar hooked up with longtime 'Star Wars' illustrator Brian Rood for the feature. Rood turned a Millennium Falcon landing port into a catwalk for the Hadids, and had Kaia strike back on the planet Hoth.

Kendall's lightsaber shot seems like an homage to Rey and R2-D2.

Expect 'Star Wars' promotions to keep coming at lightspeed for the next 6 weeks.

Justin Trudeau's stoked like the rest of us after seeing the new "Star Wars" trailer ... but he's got no time for nuke talk.

We got the Prime Minister of Canada in D.C. Wednesday and asked him what he thinks about "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" ... he says it's a must-see. As for real-life nuclear war that threatens to destroy us all -- no comment.

Can't blame Justin, though ... he's been busy in our nation's capital with other important matters. And signing autographs.

But he's right about that trailer.

Chris Hardwick doesn't have a problem with J.J. Abrams being back at the helm for "Star Wars: Episode IX" ... 'cause he's proved he can do it, and deserves another shot.

We got Chris, certified comic and sci-fi nerd, Wednesday in Bev Hills, and asked what he thought of Disney tapping Abrams again to direct another 'Star Wars' flick ... instead of going with someone new. In other words: is the Mouse house playing it safe?

Carrie Fisher -- who starred in the globally iconic 'Star Wars' franchise as Princess Leia -- left an estate worth nearly $7 million to her daughter, Billie Lourd.

In new docs filed by the executor of Carrie's estate, Billie stands to inherit $6.8 million in personal property left by Carrie. TMZ broke the story, Carrie died after suffering a massive heart attack aboard a flight from London to LAX.

It's interesting ... although $6.8 million is nothing to sneeze at, considering the most recent 'Star Wars' installment featuring Carrie grossed more than $2 BILLION, you'd think her estate might be more flush with cash.

It's possible there could be additional money in trusts not reflected in this probate case ... which Billie could also collect.

George Lucas has some harsh advice for autograph seekers and compared the ones he saw Friday in NYC to beggars on a street corner.

The "Star Wars" creator was immediately peeved when a few people looking for his John Hancock -- not true fans in his opinion -- approached him. Instead of blowing them off, George lectured 'em on how to make an honest living ... in the movie industry.

The 'graphers didn't back down and it turned into a back-and-forth between a billionaire and a dude hustling to make a few hundred bucks.

Looks like this is George's new mission. He dropped similar pearls of wisdom last month in L.A., making it clear he's derailing the autograph gravy train.

Carrie Fisher's most prized possessions are about to hit the auction block ... but behind the scenes there's a scramble because turns out some of the items weren't hers at all.

There's a lot of intrigue over what happened, so let's tell it like a movie:

SCENE 1: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! You can own a cherished memento of Carrie Fisher -- maybe even something from "Star Wars" -- if you open your wallet ... big. The auction page advertised "The Personal Property of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds."

SCENE 2: GOOD MORNING AMERICA. Carrie's bro, Todd, appears on the show last month to promote the auction and takes viewers on a tour of her home. He stops at a Yoda statue and refers to it as "her Yoda."

SCENE 3: FRIDAY, JULY 7th. Someone sends an email to TMZ, pointing out the Yoda was never owned by Carrie and was purchased by Todd at an auction in March, months after her death. That made us say, "Hmmmm."

SCENE 4: INTRIGUE. We contacted CGA, the company that was hired by the auction house -- Profiles in History -- to authenticate 20 action figures, which were labeled, "The Carrie Fisher Collection." Turns out, at least 4 of the action figures were not Carrie's and were also purchased at the "Yoda" auction. We're told CGA is now so concerned about authenticity they've asked to get all 20 items back for another look.

SCENE 5: OOPS. A rep for the auction house tells us they were always planning on selling separate items as "The Fisher Family Collection," in addition to items personally owned by Carrie and Debbie. That confused us, because items purchased at auction 3 months ago are not exactly part of the family.

SCENE 6: WHAT'S TO BECOME OF YODA? Relax, he'll stay put in the Fisher family. The auction rep tells us it's not going up for auction.

The auction will go down in September and a portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

The upcoming "Star Wars" Han Solo installment has gone through some changes, but one thing we know for sure ... Woody Harrelson will hang with Han and Chewbacca in the movie at some point.

In new pics from the set, obtained by TMZ, Harrelson's character Beckett meets up with Han Solo -- played by Alden Ehrenreich -- and Chewie in what looks like some sort of space station.

We're told these shots were taken during filming before Ron Howard took over as director, replacing Phil Lord and Chris Miller. You can also see Harrelson meeting with a female character ... possibly Emilia Clarke's?

The film -- a story of young Han Solo prior to the original 1977 'Star Wars' plot -- is expected to be released in May 2018.

Harrison Ford ain't getting around TSA as easily as he does all those sticky situations in 'Star Wars' -- well, all except that last one.

We got Harrison at LAX, where he was mum about the new standalone 'Han Solo' movie bringing on Ron Howard to direct.

But the gold here is the most famous interstellar smuggler trying to get through an airport security check.

Kessel run in 14 parsecs? TSA don't care!