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Jennifer Lopez is baring her heart and soul in "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story," and it might just be enough to earn her a much-coveted Oscar ... at least according to one of her costars.

We caught up with Alix Angelis Wednesday in L.A. -- she plays "The Quiet One" in J Lo's musical film -- and while she's not sure the new project will qualify for an Academy Award, she's hoping it does for Jennifer's sake.

AA told us J Lo had to get very vulnerable for this role ... she explained how that vulnerability actually made her stronger in the role, and as a leader on set -- Jen co-wrote and executive produced it.

The film follows Jennifer's journey to finding true love, through her own eyes, and while she's described it as a culmination of her last 20 years -- Alix says she's confident this won't be the last such project for J Lo.

Of course, Ben Affleck also stars in the movie, which could've made for some uncomfortable moments -- there are plenty of scenes about past loves NOT named Ben -- but Alix says he was never upset and remained incredibly supportive of his wife throughout production.

As we reported, Jennifer says she and Ben are much more secure now than compared to their tumultuous relationship in the early 2000s -- so they're able to work through issues much more effectively.

Here's Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson all set to portray the King of Pop on the set of the upcoming MJ biopic -- and we gotta say, he's the spitting image of his late uncle.

Jaafar was in full hair, makeup and costume Thursday on location in the Encino area of Los Angeles, where cameras were rolling for "Michael" ... the first official film to tackle the MJ's life on the big screen.

JJ is Jermaine Jackson's son, BTW, and he looks eerily similar to his famous relative here.

Lionsgate, the studio behind the upcoming biopic, dropped the first look at Jackson as MJ earlier this week ... a photo replicating Michael's 1992-1993 Dangerous Tour. In that promo pic, too, Jaafar was seriously channeling MJ ... passing as a dead ringer for the entertainer.

Now, we're getting a slightly different view of Jaafar as Michael ... this time, he's a bit more formal with a white button-down shirt and a tie -- and we can really see how he looks.

Nia Long joined Jaafar on set here on Thursday ... remember, she's playing Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson. She's also fully transformed -- and pretty unrecognizable.

Like Jaafar, Nia's also a doppelganger for her character ... not very different than what we saw last week when she, Colman Domingo (playing Joe Jackson) and other actors portraying the younger Jackson 5. All of them were fully immersed in their roles, and looked great.

Jaafar, of course, is the star ... and from the looks of it, he has become Michael Jackson.

The highly-anticipated biopic won't hit theaters until April 2025 ... and everything we've seen so far seems to be hitting the mark, at least visually.

Zendaya left her mark at Wednesday's world premiere of "Dune: Part Two" in London ... stealing the show in a vintage robot suit.

The premiere snaps of the actress are pretty wild ... she's absolutely rockin' the metallic Thierry Mugler Fall '95 haute couture look, with exaggerated shoulders and sheer-illusion cut-outs on her chest, stomach, and bottom. Talk about a cutting-edge vibe, huh?!?

There was no one else who had quite the flair the Zendaya brought with her futuristic look ... even posing like a robot on the red carpet at one point. However, all her stiff-looking angles may have just boiled down to how restrictive her suit was ... could be one or the other.

Zendaya's entrusted stylist, Law Roach -- the mastermind behind the archival look -- who was also at the premiere. Needless to say, it was quite the style moment ... despite some fans likening her look to "Wizard Of Oz"'s Tin Man. Either way, she's got a lot of heart!

Truth be told, Zendaya may have hogged the spotlight a bit ... but if you were to look elsewhere, other stars of the movie also brought an endless cycle of fashion in front of cameras ... and looked just as good.

Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy opted for similar head-covering looks -- the Brit in a plunging black number and Anya in angelic white.

Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler, meanwhile, also made fashion statements on the red carpet ahead of their movie release on March 1 ... looking sharp and stud-ly.

Sharon Stone didn't have any connection to O.J. Simpson back in 1994 ... but when The Juice was loose, Stone was locked up tight -- with cops sequestering her in a hotel room.

The megastar actress talked about how her fame exploded after the 1992 film "Basic Instinct" came out in an interview with InStyle Magazine ... and said she was so big two years later that when O.J. took cops on a low-speed chase, LAPD officers showed up at her door.

According to SS ... while the dramatic pursuit was in progress, officers showed up at Sharon's door and told her to pack a bag in the next 10 minutes.

Stone says one officer specifically told her, "He’s dangerous. And we don’t know how dangerous, and we don’t know what this is."

Worth noting ... Stone had no actual connection to Simpson -- leading some to wonder why the police would show up to her house anyway. Obviously, Stone was one of the biggest movie stars of the time, but tons of famous people live in L.A., and LAPD didn't go to all their houses as far as we know.

One person who didn't question why the police were there ... Sharon Stone, who quickly packed a bag and left with officers who took her to a hotel. Sharon said her life had become so crazy after "Basic Instinct" blew up she didn't think anything of the protection.

They recommended she buy a house with a gate and hire some security -- advice Stone took, and one of many expensive measures Sharon said she paid for to keep herself safe.

Of course, Simpson later returned to his home where -- following a lengthy standoff -- O.J. turned himself in to police. He was charged with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman ... but, of course, he was found not guilty of both slayings.

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix celebrated their love for one another on Valentine's Day, but it's not what you might think ... their affection was only on display for the new 'Joker' movie.

Todd Phillips, director of the upcoming "Joker: Folie 'a Deux," posted three photos on Instagram Wednesday, showing Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, better known as the infamous Joker, and Gaga as his criminal sidekick Dr. Harleen Quinzel, AKA Harley Quinn.

In the snaps, Phoenix and Gaga literally seem gaga for each other, while dressed in their costumes and makeup. The photos show them standing face-to-face and nose-to-nose, as well as slow dancing on a rooftop, during which Phoenix dips Gaga with her arm swung around his neck.

Under the photos, Phillips wrote in the caption, "Hoping your day is full of love. 10.4.24." October 4th is the film's scheduled release date.

Last Valentine's Day, Phillips posted an IG photo of Phoenix and Gaga in their characters, apparently in the throes of maniacal sex with their red lipstick smeared across their faces. Phillips has also uploaded several other spooky images of the stars on set.

"The Princess and The Frog" star Jennifer Cody is thrilled Tiana's Bayou Adventure is taking shape at the Disney parks ... replacing the controversial Splash Mountain after years of public outcry.

The actress, who played Charlotte La Bouff in the 2009 movie, tells TMZ she's applauding Disney for finally deciding to keep up with the times and replacing Splash Mountain's animatronics due to its racist themes.

IYDK, SM was based on the 1946 film, "Song of the South," which has been heavily criticized for years for its racist depictions of Southern Black men and its portrayal of the antebellum South.

For that reason, Jennifer tells us it was about time the hateful and hurtful ride was taken down.

Its log flume replacement, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, will open up Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom this summer and later on in the year at Cali's Disneyland Park. Animatronics for the new attraction are said to be next-level -- something that delights Jennifer 'cause she thinks the animators from the studio's first Black princess story weren't appreciated enough.

However, while she's happy Disney's investing in Black stories ... she's hoping people on the ride can look past Tiana's "Black princess" concept -- and feel inspired to emulate her strong, courageous entrepreneurial qualities.

Hollywood's biggest movie stars mixed, mingled and munched at a famous hotel ahead of the upcoming Academy Awards ... and there was a heavy "Barbie" contingent.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were among the "Barbie" stars in attendance Monday at the annual Oscar nominees luncheon at The Beverly Hilton.

Billie Eilish and Finneas were also representing "Barbie" in Bev Hills ... the musicians are up for the Oscar for Best Original Song for "What Was I Made For?" and they seem to be the team to beat after their song won twice at the Grammys

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig was there too ... rubbing elbows with other famous directors like Steven Spielberg and "Oppenheimer" honcho Martin Scorsese.

Steven's nominated for his work as a producer on Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," which is nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Bradley directed and starred in the film and he's up for Best Actor ... so naturally he made sure to chat with some of the other stars in his category, like "American Fiction" leading man Jeffrey Wright.

This year's spread ... wild mushroom risotto.

Check out the gallery ... it's loaded with big names like Emma Stone, Paul Giamatti, Sterling K. Brown, Marlee Matlin, Diane Warren, Brittany Snow and Hailee Steinfeld.

Margot Robbie made Warner Bros. a ton of cash last year -- so they signed her production company to a movie deal, something she and other celebs went out to celebrate.

The actress was among a handful of stars who showed up to Delilah in WeHo Monday night -- this on the heels of the big news that her LuckyChap production company had inked a first-look deal with the studio ... promising she'll have another crack at some big movies.

The contract she signed with WB amounts to a multi-year agreement to collaborate on future feature films -- this, of course, on the heels of "Barbie," a bona fide money-maker for them.

To ring in the big news ... MR hosted a huge bash, where her fellow A-listers rolled through to congratulate her. Just to name a few ... Glen Powell, Michelle Rodriguez, America Ferrera, Rose Byrne, Pierce Brosnan, Steven Yeun, Zooey Deschanel, Jonathan Scott, Shailene Woodley, J.J. Abrams and others.

BTW, Margot's company -- which she heads up alongside her husband, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara -- has already produced a number of great films ... and has acquired the rights to others.

LuckyChap has been behind movies like "I, Tonya," 'Birds of Prey,' "Promising Young Woman," "Saltburn" ... and even some TV shows too. And yes, they helped produce "Barbie" too.

There's a new 'Spider-Man' movie out this week that's all about the ladies -- the premiere for which runs the risk of getting you stuck on our page ... 'cause they were oozing sex appeal.

Of course, we're talking about "Madame Web"-- which stars Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts and other female actors who lead the charge in fighting bad guys on the big screen. In front of cameras, though ... they were also leaving a mark.

Sydney, specifically, looked gorgeous ... with a body-hugging dress that was web-themed, and which fit her like a glove. Yeah, she was kinda pouring out of this thing -- tastefully, that is.

Dakota herself also turned heads with her outfit -- she had on this mesh/see-through gown that made it seem like she was completely naked underneath ... even though, she really wasn't. On the contrary, she had on a skin-colored leotard beneath her main dress.

Still, she was definitely allowing people's imagination to run wild ... and on both counts -- between Sydney and Dakota -- they certainly made a splash for their superhero flick.

Other cast members showed off their sweet duds as well ... Celeste O'Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Adam Scott, Zosia Mamet and more. Everyone was dressed to the nines.

And, while everyone looked stunning ... it bears repeating, SS and DJ stole the show here.

Anyway, "Madame Web" hits theaters starting Wednesday -- but the box office projections for the movie are looking a little grim from the outset ... word is, it very well may flop.

Calling all movie buffs ... this one's for you! Props worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Michael J. Fox and Olivia Newton-John are expected to fetch more than $8 million during the largest film and TV memorabilia auction ever.

Propstore, one of the nation's leading prop auction sites, will be auctioning off 1,700 rare and iconic lots this March, and if you've got seriously deep pockets, you can get your hands on some super cool vintage film mementos.

For instance, every Star Wars fan would leap at Anthony Daniels' light-up C-3PO head from 1983's "Return of the Jedi" -- but, it could go for a whopping $1 million. Like we said, deep pockets, baby!

Captain Picard's 'Stark Trek' command chair is estimated to go for $100,000, while Sandy's "Grease" drive-in costume is expected to rake in up to $50K.

The screen-matched stunt leather jacket from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" -- which was worn by Vic Armstrong AKA, the world's greatest stuntman -- could go for between $200,000 and $400,000.

Vintage items from other movies such as 1969's "Easy Rider," 1985's "Back to the Future" and 1967's James Bond flick "You Only Live Once" will also be up on the auction block.

The most recent movie prop featured will be Harry Potter's wand from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Brad Pitt knew Bradley Cooper was gonna be a star ... not because of his Oscar-nominated performances -- but because of a more comedic role.

The 60-year-old actor hit the stage at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Thursday to give his 49-year-old compadre the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award for his part as Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro" -- a movie he also directed and co-wrote.

It's a top honor at the event ... and it gave BP the opportunity to talk about Cooper's work through the years -- including the moment he knew BC was gonna be big.

"Maestro" is the fifth performance for which Cooper received an acting Academy Award nod BTW ... but Pitt didn't point to any of those performances -- instead he heaped praise on Cooper for his role in "The Hangover."

Pitt pointed out the subtle intricacies of Cooper's performance -- saying so many of the moments Cooper makes great have very little to do with him ... improving the film from the side of the screen in a sense. Pretty impressive for a movie where one of the main characters is a tiger!

The Oscar-winner didn't just talk about "The Hangover" though ... he also brought up Cooper's "A Star is Born" performance and direction -- noting Cooper somehow balanced emotional drunk acting scenes while also keeping an eye on the crew to make sure he's getting the perfect shot.

Brad added, "To do that really, really well is nothing short of perfect."

Hopefully, the Academy feels the same way ... Cooper's up for Best Actor for his role in the movie at this year's Oscars -- an award he's 0-for-3 on so far.

Don Rickles can't record new lines for "Toy Story 5" -- but his daughter's hoping Disney has more archived audio to use, 'cause she wants her dad in the flick ... TMZ has learned.

ICYMI ... the fifth installment of the beloved animated franchise got a 2026 release date, announced Wednesday. We don't have cast details yet, but Rickles -- who played Mr. Potato Head in the first four installments of the franchise -- passed away in 2017.

We spoke to Mindy Rickles -- the daughter of the late great actor and comedian -- and she tells us ... Disney or Pixar has not yet reached out about a plan to use Don's voice, which is interesting considering Potato Head is a huge character in the franchise.

In fact -- MR was so in the dark, she says, that she didn't even know "Toy Story 5" was announced ... and doesn't have a clue if they plan on using his voice, or recasting MPH.

With that said ... Mindy tells us she's giving the franchise two thumbs up to use her dad's vocals via footage they might have left over and stashed away in the vault over the years -- but it's gotta really be him ... because she says AI's a no-go for her.

This isn't a new concept ... "Toy Story 4" came out in 2019 -- about two years after Don passed away and he hadn't recorded a single line of dialogue for the movie at the time.

The 'TS4' team got creative and cherry-picked unused lines he recorded for the first three movies, theme parks, associated video games, and even the 'Disney On Ice: Toy Story' show to piece together his part. That's exactly what Mindy tells us she wants to happen now.

It's unclear exactly how much more dialogue Disney might have from Don ... but with Mrs. Potato Head actress Estelle Harris' death in 2022, the creatives behind 'Toy Story' might just say the couple's moved on to another family -- like Wheezy the singing penguin and Bo Peep between the second and third movies. Of course, they could just get new voice actors too.

The Michael Jackson biopic is in full swing on the production -- and you can tell, 'cause Colman Domingo and Nia Long are already on set ... in character as MJ's parents.

The 2 actors showed up in full costume/makeup Wednesday in L.A., where cameras were rolling for "Michael" -- which is the first official film to tackle the late, great entertainer's life on camera ... and already, Colman and Nia are dead ringers for Joe and Katherine Jackson.

Check out the pics ... CD and NL are virtually unrecognizable as Michael's mom and dad -- and BTW, it wasn't just them who were arriving on set to shoot ... child actors, who are presumably playing the young versions of the Jackson 5, also showed up ready to film.

Just like Colman and Nia, child actor Juliano Valdi is nailing the look as a young Michael Jackson ... he's got the afro going and a blue robe.

Shoutout to the casting department ... 'cause everyone looks fantastic here in character.

As you're probably well aware by now ... Antoine Fuqua is directing the film, which aims to tell the story of a "brilliant yet complicated man." This movie has the blessing of Michael's estate -- which has raised eyebrows, but been embraced as great news by others.

MJ's real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, is portraying the King of Pop ... and from all the shots we've seen of him so far -- he's a dead-on doppelgänger for his late uncle. Michael's family is also on board with this production ... so by all accounts, it'll be the official Michael story.

Whether it tackles the controversial issues that haunted him in his life ... we'll see.

The biopic is due out in theaters in 2025 ... so it's gonna be a while before we see everyone on the big screen. For now, people/MJ fans get to enjoy this sneak peek.

Mo'Nique made a lot of claims on Shannon Sharpe's podcast -- but one she followed up on with receipts includes a story about on-set movie trailers that she claims "blew up."

The comedian/actress told this alleged anecdote on "Club Shay Shay" Wednesday about the 2016 film 'Almost Christmas' that she filmed alongside Danny Glover, Omar Epps, JB Smoove, Kimberly Elise, and others ... a production she insisted was rife with danger.

Long story short ... Mo'Nique suggested producer Will Packer -- a Hollywood big shot behind tons of comedies/shows in recent years -- was cutting corners and ignoring warning signs during production of 'AC' -- even alleging he turned a blind eye when someone notified him the cast had been smelling gas near some of their trailers, where they got dressed, etc.

Obviously, it's a major allegation -- and in the moment of her recounting it on the pod ... she promised she'd post "evidence" of it afterward, which she then did later in the day.

Mo'Nique threw up a clip Wednesday that seems to show exactly what she was talking about -- namely, a movie set trailer all burnt up and damaged with firefighters surveying the scene. She didn't provide more details/info on whose trailer, specifically, this was ... or what exactly led up to the destroyed trailer, but on its face -- it appears to back up her story.

She writes, "HEY MY SWEET BABIES HERE ARE OUR TRAILERS FROM ALMOST XMAS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT ON CLUB SHAY SHAY DON’T TAKE MY WORD, SEE FOR YOURSELF. I LOVE US 4REAL." Based on the comments, it sounds like folks believe her.

This is just one of MANY allegations Mo'Nique floated on 'CSS' ... which dredged up old feuds between herself, Oprah, Tyler Perry, and others that she's been involved in for years.

Unclear if she's going to post more "evidence" -- like an alleged audio recording of TC that she says she has -- but ya gotta imagine she's ready to drop stuff at a moment's notice.

Brad Pitt showed up to the Bob Marley movie premiere in L.A. this week -- and it ain't just 'cause he's a fan of the legend ... the guy's one of the producers on the film.

The actor was all smiles at the Regency Theater Tuesday at the debut screening of the new Bob Marley biopic, 'One Love,' ... and he was hobnobbing with the cast and others, totally down to pose for pics too.

Pitt posed with Bob's son Ziggy and the movie's star Kingsley Ben-Adir ... flexing that easy grin and low-key energy we've come accustomed to seeing from the 60-year-old A-lister.

The reason he was even there ... his production company, Plan B, helped make the movie behind the scenes -- so a Brad appearance for a movie this big certainly makes sense.

Other stars at Tuesday night's premiere ... Stevie Wonder, Shaggy, Lilly Singh, RZA, Talani Rabb, Kylie Minogue, Mystic Marley, Daymond John, and a whole lot more.

As for Brad ... he normally serves as the star, but he seems comfortable playing producer too.

Kumail Nanjiani says that movie critics were so harsh on his Marvel movie from a few years ago that he thought it'd be best to get on the couch and see a shrink about it ... yep.

The actor -- who played one of the leads in 2021's "Eternals" -- told the tale on the "Inside of You" podcast with Michael Rosenbaum ... where he explained that the work he put into it didn't match the reaction, at least in his eyes.

KN said the reviews were terrible, and he was a little too aware of it -- going on to explain that he was reading each think piece about his movie, which apparently bothered him a lot.

He also notes that it was affecting his home life, adding ... "It was really hard, and that was when I thought it was unfair to me and unfair to [my wife] Emily, and I can’t approach my work this way anymore. Some s*** has to change, so I started counseling. I still talk to my therapist about that."

Even now, Kumail thinks he's still suffering from the experience -- saying ... "Emily says that I do have trauma from it. We actually just got dinner with somebody else from that movie and we were like, 'That was tough, wasn’t it?’ and he’s like ‘Yeah, that was really tough.'