Actress, Singer Jane Birkin Dead at 76 ... Inspired birkin Handbag
Jane Birkin, the English singer, actor, and style icon known for her 60's style, died on Sunday, July 16 at the age of 76.
Birkin was also a model and came to be widely seen as a fashion trendsetter, inspiring Hermes' famous Birkin handbag.
The news comes after Birkin was forced to cancel a handful of concerts in May due to health concerns, and less than two years after Birkin suffered a minor stroke.
Birkin was known for her professional and personal relationship with the musician Serge Gainsbourg.
The pair were together for 12 years but remained friends after their split, with Gainsbourg still writing songs for Birkin.
Her acting credits included films such as the 1966 classic Blow Up, Death on the Nile (1978), and Evil Under the Sun (1982).
Jane was 76. RIP
Tom Cruise New 'M:I 7' Flick Stalls Domestically ... 'Barbie' Coming in Hot!!!
Tom Cruise is flying high in the new 'Mission: Impossible,' but the flick itself is already coming in for a mediocre landing at the box office ... at least that's the outlook.
The early ticket sale numbers are in, and with the pace it's currently at right now ... 'Dead Reckoning: Part One' is projected to rake in about $78 million domestically through its 5-day run. The movie got released early this past week, with full screenings starting Tuesday.
The problem with that figure, assuming it holds true through Sat/Sun, is that the early estimates had 'M:I 7' coming in at a way higher amount ... about $90 mil in North America.
While the early global box office numbers have helped boost 'Dead Reckoning' to a total projected opening of about $122 mil thus far ... the movie is still well below its reported budget of $290 million (for just Part 1, mind you). At this rate, it needs to have the kind of legs "Top Gun: Maverick" had to make its money back ... let alone turn a profit.
Meanwhile, "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are waiting in the wings ... with both set to come out next week, and likely knocking 'M:I 7' down a few notches. "Barbie," particularly, is expected to take the cake among the 3 films ... with a projected domestic opening of $93 million.
Considering all the marketing that's gone into "Barbie," ya gotta figure their actual haul will be somewhat close to that number ... not to mention whatever "Oppenheimer" snags as well.
This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters.
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) June 28, 2023 @TomCruise
Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history.
I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie. pic.twitter.com/udWHHj4fAe
In any case, this appears to be bad news for Tom and co. ... again, only if these figures work out how they're expected to. Funny enough, Tom has been embracing all the summer blockbusters -- encouraging moviegoers to go see all the big flicks coming out, including his direct competition. He did this publicly amid reports that he was actually pissed BTS.
The irony, of course, is that Tom is a huge advocate of seeing movies in theaters ... and he's repeatedly gone on record as touting that as his ultimate goal as he continues his legacy.
Of course, if that comes at the expense of his own tentpole film ... maybe a different convo? Anyhoo, 'Dead Reckoning: Pt 1' is out now -- and he'll have another bite at the apple next year in 'Part 2.' By all accounts, the action flick is a knockout and entertaining as hell.
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Live-Action 'Snow White' 7 Dwarves Morph Into Norms ... After Dinklage Complaint
The new live-action "Snow White" movie is sure gonna look different from what most people remember about the fairy tale classic -- 'cause there are hardly any dwarves to be found.
A handful of on-set photos were published this week -- with production going down in the London area -- and based on the images here ... you can see Disney's made a conscious decision to lose most of the heigh-ho crew and replace them with random, ordinary people.
Take a look ... there's only 1 little person featured in the 7-man (and now woman) brigade. There's also a man in blue leading the charge who doesn't seem to be a "dwarf" himself.
As for the others ... aside from the shorter guy toward the front, the rest of the dwarves are of typical height. In fact, the last one in the very back actually looks to be quite tall. The dwarves, as it were, are also of mixed races and genders ... but it's very clear they're the ones that Snow White meets in the woods and befriends through her magical adventure.
Speaking of SW ... the woman who's seen here in the red hood is actually Rachel Zegler's stand-in. No word on why Zegler herself wasn't on set for this day of shooting, but she's already been spotted out in the whole Snow White getup ... looking kinda Disneyland-esque.
Also worth noting, Disney has tried clarifying what's being depicted in these pics. They say there are 2 stand-ins for a couple of their main actors -- Zegler and a guy named Andrew Burnap -- and that these photos weren't official film photos. Sooo ... pickup shots then?
What Disney appears to concede in their ever-evolving statements about these pics is that this is, in fact, what the movie will look like as it pertains to portraying the classic dwarves as we know them ... aka, they're pivoting away from having 7 "dwarfs" on camera together.
Remember, they actually said they'd be doing this on the heels of Peter Dinklage's viral tirade about the film ... when he went on Marc Maron's podcast to rail against the fact they were going to feature dwarves in a manner he characterized as backwards and insulting.
While some were outraged about the fact that Zegler, a Latina, would be playing Snow White ... he was more concerned about showing little people in a demeaning way, and Disney heard him loud and clear ... changing course. At the time, they said ... "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community."
Time will tell how the public receives this ... "Snow White" is coming out next spring.
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Ron Perlman Threatens Studio Exec In Rant ... 'Be Careful, Motherf*****'
Ron Perlman is super pissed at the studio executive who wants to bleed striking writers dry before coming to the table to end one of two Hollywood strikes ... so much so, he's making threats.
The "Hellboy" star did not mince words in a since-deleted social media rant Friday, making some ominous threats towards the anonymous studio exec who was quoted as saying studios are purposefully delaying negotiations with the Writers Guild of America "until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses."
In the video, an incensed Ron says ... "Listen to me, motherf*****, there's a lot of ways to lose your house. Some of it is financial, some of it is karma, and some of it is just figuring out who the f*** said that -- and we know who said that -- and where he f****** lives."
Ron continues ... "There's a lot of ways to lose your house. You wish that on people, you wish that families starve, while you're making $27 f***** million a year for creating nothing? Be careful, motherf*****. Be really careful, 'cause that's the kind of s*** that stirs s*** up."
The rant comes in response to a Deadline article this week that quotes anonymous studio executives as revealing their strike plan is to let writers fall into dire straits in order to force a studio-friendly deal.
Ron's union, SAG-AFTRA, is now on strike too ... and things are getting very ugly in Hollywood.
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SAG-AFTRA PREZ FRAN DRESCHER Studios Dragged Feet Before Strike ... Public Has Power Now!!!
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Fran Drescher is ripping Hollywood studios, saying their negotiation strategy was all a ploy to have extra time to promote upcoming blockbusters.
We got the actress and President of SAG-AFTRA on Friday's picket line outside Netflix HQ, and she said the studios duped the union leading up to Thursday's strike.
Fran says her union was sincere in extending the strike deadline 12 days in hopes to avoid a nasty standoff ... but she's convinced the studios weren't negotiating in good faith and only wanted to use the extension to hold premieres for some upcoming flicks, like "Barbie."
Fran's not holding back ... ripping the studios' negotiating tactics as "thoughtless, insensitive and not compassionate." She says they straight-up don't care about the actors who make this whole industry go forward.
As we reported, Fran went nuclear Thursday in announcing the strike ... the union's first walkout in 43 years, with actors joining already striking writers on the picket lines.
Fran sees an end to the standoff, even though she has said both sides are far apart ... telling us the public has the power to make this whole thing go away.
The way Fran sees it ... public opinion and the way people spend their money will dictate a lot of the outcome, and she's asking folks to stand tall with the folks in front of the cameras to give them some leverage against the studios and their CEOs.
Fran's really fired up ... and this has all the makings of a nasty fight in Hollywood.
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'Wicked' Movie Cast & Crew Go 'Poof' From Set ... Who'll Mourn The Wicked??
There's nothing but an empty set behind the wizard's curtain on the set of "Wicked" ... looking more like a ghost town as the SAG-AFTRA strike begins.
The Buckinghamshire village that Universal transformed into some vibrant sets for the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-led musical has become a dreamland for the cast and crew hard at work on the production ... but as the actors' strike went into effect Friday morning, the hundreds of cast and crew are nowhere to be found.
FYI, this movie has been brewin' since first announced back in 2016 -- obviously COVID was a big setback, but things were finally moving smoothly for the blockbuster before the strike.
HBO's "House of the Dragon" is also a project that's shooting overseas, but while that production's still going forward, don't think that makes the stars a bunch of scabs.
For those unaware, the actors in the 'GoT' prequel operate under the UK's local union, Equity -- which has strict rules against striking in solidarity with other unions like SAG-AFTRA.
"Wicked" is slated to come out next November ... but who knows if the team will be able to defy the gravity of the strike in time for its release.
We covered the SAG-AFTRA strike on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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SAG-AFTRA Strike No Acting, Promoting & More ... Strict Rules for All Union Actors
SAG-AFTRA actors are facing a load of rules as the strike goes into effect ... and we're talking about everything, from acting on camera to even tweeting about projects.
TMZ has obtained a copy of the rigorous guidelines the 160,000 union members are required to follow until the strike ends ... and it cites the expected no-nos like acting, singing, and doing motion capture work in front of a camera.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg, because they also aren't allowed to do any voice acting, narrating, or re-recording their voice for a scene, also known as dubbing.
In addition, performers can't attend costume fittings, makeup tests, or rehearsals and they can't audition for upcoming projects.
There's also a ban on promotion, in every form -- they can't do interviews, tours, fan expos and conventions, podcast appearances, award shows or even post about a project on social media.
It appears pre-recorded promos are fair game for the studios, but SAG-AFTRA's asked publicists to add a disclaimer in front of pre-deadline press junkets so some actors don't come off as scabs down the line.
Stand-ins and background actors in the union are also forbidden from crossing that picket line ... leaving options incredibly limited for any shows or movies staying in production. Also, anyone not in SAG-AFTRA that crosses the line won't be getting future entry into the union.
As we reported, a handful of panels and signings at San Diego Comic-Con have already been canceled, while others that typically include celebs are expected to follow before the event starts next week.
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Lindsay Lohan My Baby Bump's Growing ... Nursery Ready For Son
Lindsay Lohan looks ready to welcome her first child, and not just because her baby bump's growing ... the kid's nursery is also coming together.
The actress showed off her pregnancy progress Wednesday, plus the room she's preparing for her kid.
Lindsay says she designed the nursery with Nestig, a furniture and decor brand for little ones, and she's drawn inspiration from the beach.
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TMZ broke the story ... Lindsay's pregnant with a boy -- and, as you can see, she's going kinda traditional with a mostly blue decor.
Looks like Lindsay's kid will be chilling with a huge teddy bear and a sweet crib once he arrives. We don't know her due date, but considering she announced the pregnancy back in March ... it's a good bet she's into her third trimester.
Lindsay says everything in her "dream nursery" is handmade ... and she looks super excited to be a first-time mother.
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Ryan Reynolds Blake, Kids Visit 'Deadpool 3' Set
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Ryan Reynolds got a taste of home while filming the latest 'Deadpool' film over in Britain ... thanks to a visit from his wife Blake Lively and two of the couple's daughters.
In the ultimate take your kids to work day, Ryan was suited up as his Marvel movie character -- minus the famous mask -- when his family stopped by the set in the south of England. Ryan was clearly in dad mode, scooping up one of his kiddos while still in costume.
For Ryan and Blake's kids, having Deadpool as a daddy has got to be pretty cool ... not to mention, they also got to hang out with Hugh Jackman, who was decked out as his usual Wolverine comic book character.
One of the kids even played with a Wolverine action figure ... so she's getting the best of both worlds.
Superhero movie sets have been the background for some important moments between Ryan and Blake over the years, remember, they first met way back in 2010 on the set of "Green Lantern."
Ryan and Blake had a few minutes to themselves too ... and he used some of it to plant a kiss on her forehead and give her a hug.
We gotta say, Ryan and Blake's daughters probably have their peers beat when it comes to summer vacations.
And, action!!!
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Sam Smith BAGGY FOR BARBIE ... Shows Up at Euro Premiere
Sam Smith was all about bringing extra to the "Barbie" movie premiere across the pond ... as in, lots of extra material to complete their look.
The singer showed up to Wednesday's European premier in London rocking a crewneck with 16 XL written across the front. Unclear if that's the actual size of the gear, but it's a BIG fashion statement nonetheless.
As you can see, Sam paired the super baggy top with, what else, super baggy jeans ... so baggy, in fact, you couldn't even see their feet.
Sam's not in the movie, instead they're singing on the "Barbie" soundtrack ... with a song called "Man I Am," dropping next week, at the same time the Greta Gerwig film hits cinemas back here in the States.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, meanwhile, were on the other end of the fashion spectrum ... Ryan went with a mint green suit, and Margot wore pink once again, as she has throughout her movie promotion.
Barbie fanatics may recognize Margot's outfit inspiration ... she channeled a doll from way back in the day, "Enchanted Evening" Barbie.
Safe to say Sam's the most extra of the lot.
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Morgan Freeman Catches Contagious Bug ... Forced to Skip Media Tour
Morgan Freeman is on the mend from a nasty infection that derailed his plans to jet across the pond to promote his latest show.
The 86-year-old actor was forced to cancel a UK trip after he came down with a fever ... according to his rep, who says doctors told Morgan he was contagious. Obviously, that meant doing a bunch of interviews was out of the question.
Morgan was scheduled to do a media tour to promote the new Taylor Sheridan show, "Special Ops: Lioness" -- Morgan costars with Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman -- but he was notably MIA from the interviews and Tuesday's screening.
He was also supposed to appear with his costars on the BBC program, "The One Show" -- but his absence was something host Alex Jones (not that one) said she was completely "gutted" about.
BTW, Morgan's also been struggling with fibromyalgia since 2008, after getting hurt in an almost-deadly car crash.
He donned a black compression glove on his hand at this year's Oscars ... something he often wears for comfort after ending up with permanent nerve damage from the wreck.
As for the infection ... Morgan's rep tells us the actor's doing fine now, and he's no longer contagious.
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Jamie Foxx Pickleball Anyone??? ... Recovery In Full Swing
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Jamie Foxx's whirlwind recovery reveal is still in full swing in Chicago ... the actor was just photographed hitting the pickleball courts around town.
Check out the image posted on Instagram Tuesday night ... Jamie playing doubles with his partner against a couple of other dudes -- and they're clearly having a blast, laughing it up at the net together.
But, this is only his latest, happy moment ... Jamie's been having fun all over the Windy City lately, taking a ride on a yacht along the river, whacking golf balls at the driving range and even saving the day by returning a lost purse to a woman. He's also been spending quality time with his fam and close friends.
Nice to see Jamie in such good spirits and looking strong after everything he's been through the last several months.
From our vantage point, it appears Jamie is well on his way to full recovery while continuing his treatment at a physical rehab facility in Chi Town. As you know, Jamie suffered a medical emergency in April, which, to this day, still remains a mystery.
We've learned there was a party for Jamie at the rehab center Monday, so all signs point to Mr. Foxx coming home.
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Jamie Foxx Saving the Day in Chi Town!!! Recovers Lost Purse
Jamie Foxx isn't just out and about as he recovers in Chicago -- he's saving the day for women in distress, and his act of kindness was captured on video.
This video is pretty wild ... it shows Jamie in a chauffeur-driven SUV roll up next to a group of people riding through downtown Chicago on a pedicab. They were all thanking him profusely for returning a purse.
The man who posted the video says his mother had lost her handbag, and apparently, Jamie found it ... and somehow tracked down the group. You clearly see him smiling and hopping back into his ride after handing her the purse.
It's yet another clear sign of how well Jamie's doing these days. TMZ broke the story ... he was swinging away at a Topgolf driving range over the weekend, and showing no ill effects as he had a chill night with a small group of family and friends.
He was also spotted on a yacht, cruising on the Chicago River. As we reported, Jamie's still getting treatment at a physical rehab facility in Chi town, but all visual signs are pointing to him making a full recovery.
We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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SAG Prez Fran Drescher Scorched for Mugging with Kim K in Italy ... Called Tone Deaf Amid Looming Strike
Fran Drescher's Hollywood union is about to head into a strike this week -- which is why her members are pissed over her chillaxin' in Europe ... just a day before s*** hits the fan.
SAG-AFTRA actors seem to be furious after seeing their President hobnobbing in Italy Monday ... next to none other than Kim Kardashian, who's catching a lot of heat amid the ongoing writers' strike (more on that later).
Fran posed for a cozy pic with Kim at a Dolce & Gabbana event -- which KK posted -- and now SAG members are calling Fran out for what they perceive as not taking their own looming strike very seriously. On its face, you can't blame 'em ... 'cause the clock's ticking.
If a deal isn't reached between SAG and movie studio bosses by midnight tonight, actors of all ilks are expected to walk off sets/hit the streets in a new wave of picketing that could rock the industry ... even more so than it already has with writers fighting their own fight.
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While SAG itself as an org has actually defended Fran being in Italy -- saying she was there working as an ambassador on behalf of Dolce and Gabbana, which was know by the negotiating committee -- that hasn't appeased the rank and file. SAG says Fran has been in negotiations every day in person or over videoconference and will be returning to LA tomorrow.
Several SAG members blasted this photo ... saying Fran appears to not really care about the fact that actors/her members are about to be out of work. Rather than trying to hammer out a new contract, they say she's just having the time of her life halfway across the world.
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There's another element of criticism ... pointed at Kim. As you know, she's in the new season of 'American Horror Story' -- which had already been written before the writers' strike -- but she's been labeled a scab by some ... seeing how she's crossed the picket line and continues to work with Ryan Murphy -- who's also caught a bad rap in this whole saga.
The fact Fran's sidled up next to her specifically doesn't sit well with a lot of actors, and the consensus seems to be ... at the very least, this is not a good look at such a crucial time.
Interestingly, Fran has expressed solidarity with the Writers Guild ... and has even hit the streets for them too. On the looming SAG strike -- it's unclear to what extent she's actually involved in negotiations ... some have said there are other folks who are leading the charge.
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Magic Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson Spectacular Yacht Vacay Breezes On in Sardinia
Magic Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson are tight both by land and sea ... they ventured off their mega-yacht to grab some authentic Italian grub -- authentic 'cause they're in Italy!
The basketball legend and his famous guest jumped off their yacht for Sardinia, lunching at the Cala di Volpe Hotel.
As we reported, Magic's annual summer trip has been goin' down for nearly a decade, and this year's yacht is truly spectacular -- "Phoenix2," a 296-foot ship that rents out for $1.2 mil a week!
The yacht has everything ... an outdoor theater, swimming pool, gym, and multiple jacuzzis.
SLJ shared some pics of him getting some R&R last week on the yacht -- going topside for acupuncture and cupping!
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Melanie Griffith Antonio Banderas Ink Officially Replaced ... With Her 4 Kiddos!!!
Melanie Griffith wears her heart on her sleeve in expressing her love -- just ask Antonio Banderas -- and now, she's got 4 new names in ink to show off her feelings.
The actress was sleeveless in L.A. Monday, revealing the fairly-new tattoo with an interesting location considering she once bore the name of her ex-husband, AB, in the exact same spot.
Now, she's completely scrubbed ANTONIO from her shoulder, replacing it with her kids' names.
The names are intersecting one another in an intricate design -- they're Dakota, Stella, Alexander and Jesse. One of those, Stella, is a child she shares with Antonio ... Alex and Dakota are kids of hers from other relationships -- and Jesse's her stepchild.
Melanie actually started the process of getting rid of her Antonio tat a few years ago -- a process she started after they'd split in 2014 -- and for a while ... her arm was completely tattoo-free.
It seems between then and now, though, she's had inspiration to get tatted anew.
BTW, this one is much more discreet and hardly visible, really. But something tells us she won't be getting rid of it anytime soon -- these are names that are around for the long haul.
Mama bear's blasted (again)!