For the past several months, Shannon Sharpe’s fate at ESPN has been uncertain. That’s been due to the legal situation that the professional football player-turned-media personality became ensnared in this past April. At the time, a Jane Doe accused 57-year-old Sharpe of rape and more. Sharpe eventually stepped away from his duties at the Disney-owned sports network as a result, and he settled the lawsuit earlier in July. Now, it seems the media conglomerate has reached a decision on his future with the company.
According to sources, Shannon Sharpe has been dropped by ESPN, and this news comes by way of The Athletic. This reported decision comes months after Sharpe stated that he planned to return to the media company at the start of NFL training camp. Neither the network nor Sharpe himself have commented on the matter, as of this writing. This move not only marks the departure of another personality at ESPN but it also closes the book on a chapter in Sharpe’s media career.
Sharpe walked off set after 45 seconds on air, a move that stemmed from comments Bayless made in relation to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
calling Stephen A. Smith “Skip.” He eventually, however, signed an extension in February 2024. Sharpe’s run at the network wasn’t without controversy, as he went viral for accidentally livestreaming a sex act. Additionally, Sharpe went off on fellow employees who criticized his coverage of Ohio State’s football program.
The lawsuit leveled against the podcast host was filed in Clark County, Nevada. As noted by The Athletic, the 20-year-old Jane Doe sued Sharpe on the grounds of “pain and suffering, psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation.” Sharpe vehemently denied the allegations, calling the suit a “shakedown” and saying that he and the woman were engaged in a consensual relationship. Her lawyer, Tony Buzzbee, announced on July 18 that the lawsuit had been dismissed, saying the following:
After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.
While his tenure with the House of Mouse’s flagship sports brand is now over, Shannon Sharpe is still involved with other media ventures. He’s the co-host of the Club Shay Shay podcast and also co-hosts Nightcap with fellow NFL veteran Chad Ochocinco. The Athletic notes that before the sexual assault lawsuit emerged, Sharpe was on the verge of landing a podcasting deal that may have been valued at $100 million.
It remains to be seen whether ESPN will release an official statement regarding the decision to cut ties with Shannon Sharpe. The same can be said as for whether Sharpe might choose to address the topic on his podcast.
One of the more highly anticipated releases on the upcoming movie calendar has to be the 2026 version of Masters of the Universe. The popular franchise has been trying to get a live-action movie off the ground for years, and now the movie is finally happening. Although there’s a lot about it we still don’t know.
One of the questions that has been up in the air for some time has been the film’s tone. Based on an ‘80s cartoon that was silly as it was action-packed, recent rumors have implied the new film might be approaching the material from a more serious angle. While speaking to Collider, Alison Brie, who will play Evil-Lyn in the new film, implies that won’t be the case. She said…
Who said it’s leaning a little more serious? I don’t think they know as much as they think they know. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Jared Leto as Skeletor, Camila Mendes as Teela, and Nicholas Galitzine as the lead hero, He-Man.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the cartoon that was created to sell the action figures of the same name, was mostly an adventure series, but it had comedic characters, like Orko the unreliable magician, and Cringer, the cowardly pet tiger of Prince Adam who transformed into Battle Cat when Adam became He-Man. Even the ostensibly heroic ones were capable of being silly now and then.
(Image credit: Filmation)
It wouldn’t have been that shocking if the plan had been to do some sort of serious take on Masters of the Universe. It often seems studios are afraid that an adaptation that isn’t played perfectly straight won’t be taken seriously by the audience. And the material certainly could work as a traditional sword and sorcery fantasy epic, something that closely resembled Netflix’s Witcher series or even Game of Thrones in tone.
It certainly sounds like things won’t be quite that serious. If Masters of the Universe isn’t looking to be more serious, we could get something that’s a similar balance of action and humor as the original animated series. It would still have plenty of serious action, but with some lighter moments as well. For those hoping Masters of the Universe is a “faithful” adaptation of the original material, it sounds like that could certainly happen.
As Wednesday Season 2 approaches its premiere date on Netflix’s 2025 schedule, I assumed Jenna Ortega would be bringing the Wednesday Addams fashion back in full force. And she has. However, her latest look abandons the Addams Family member’s signature color completely as she wore a skin-tight off-white sheer gown that looks like snakeskin.
With Part 1 of Wednesday’s highly anticipated second season premiering on August 6 (Part 2 will drop September 3), Jenna Ortega has been turning look after look while promoting the show. However, the real stunner to me came at the London premiere as she wore this absolutely captivating snakeskin gown on the purple carpet. Take a look:
(Image credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
This dress, which is from Ashi Studio, per Glamour, reminds me of when a snake sheds its skin. It’s such an edgy, jaw-dropping and stunning take on both snakeskin and the sheer trend, and I absolutely adore how daring Jenna Ortega is with this look.
Netflix subscription starting on August 6. Part 2 will premiere on September 3. In the meantime, you can binge all of Season 1 right now.
Wednesday cast was present at this event too, with Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley), Luis Guzmán (Gomez), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia), Joanna Lumley (Grandmamma), Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester), Georgie Farmer (Ajax), Billie Piper (Capri) and Steve Buscemi (Barry Dort) wearing the classic Addams black. Meanwhile, her Nevermore classmates, Joy Sunday and Emma Myers, who play Bianca and Enid, respectively, wore bright red mini-dresses.
(Image credit: Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
All around, these looks were giving gothic and unique energy, just like Wednesday.
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
However, going back to the woman behind the titular character, her outfit specifically also adds to her ever-growing catalog of looks that prove just how innovative, daring and unique her style is. Not only is Ortega a master method dresser, she also is fearless. This ensemble proves that, just like her sheer blazer outfit from 2023, her flower minidress from 2024, and her romantic figure-hugging beige gown from earlier this year did.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Jenna Ortega is a fashion icon, and this look just adds to that. While I expected her to bust out the black gothic looks for this premiere, she truly zigged instead of zagged and surprised us with this snakeskin dress.
While it’s a color Wednesday would probably never wear, I do think she’d be proud of this fashion moment, and I think that makes it the perfect fit for this event. That’s because it plays into the show’s vibe while also highlighting its star’s personal style.
The phrase “premium-large format” (or PLF) couldn’t sound more technical. But mention Imax — and its winning streak on Wall Street — and all eyes light up. That wasn’t always the case.
For years, Imax was best known as the giant screen housed in museums that showcased astronauts taking space walks or an African safari in stunning fashion. Now, weekend after weekend, Imax’s well-oiled publicity machine issues notes announcing how much of a film’s overall gross comes from the company’s screens, both in the U.S. and overseas, lifting the company’s profile on Wall Street.
Case in point: The second quarter of the current fiscal year marked Imax’s best quarter in terms of domestic movies ticket sales as it stays on course to achieve guidance of $1.2 billion for the full year. Over the July 11-14 weekend, the 400 or so Imax theaters in North American accounted for $19.1 million of Superman’s opening gross, or a record 15.6 percent.
Yet lost in the noise was that the PLF screens overall, including Imax, turned in 40 percent of the total opening number of $125 million. That means the country’s approximately 900 other PLF screens ponied up about $26 million. (PLF’s produced up to 30 percent of Jurassic World Rebirth’s opening gross; that film didn’t have access to Imax). They just don’t often get their moment in the publicity spotlight.
It’s no wonder why competing PLF screens might want to band together and promote themselves over Imax, but it’s a tricky proposition, considering that mega circuits including AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres and Regal Cinemas all have their own individually branded PLFs, in addition to operating Imax screens and, in some cases, emerging formats ScreenX and 4DX (the latter is hugely popular in Asia and Latin America, and is gaining momentum in the U.S.).
To start touting their own and other PLFs could result in consumer confusion. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that AMC, which operates the most Imax screens in North America in addition to being the sole destination for Dolby Cinemas domestically — also a high-end, coveted PLF — has no interest in joining such a coalition. And so far, there’s no indication that Cinemark and Regal are part of any coalition. Neither responded to a request for comment.
Imax CEO Richard Gelfond confirmed this in his own comments during a recent investors call. “[AMC Theatres’ Adam Aron] basically felt that it was remote that any consortium was going to be put together in any way,” the CEO said. “We also spoke with a number of the other big exhibitors that were in North America, and they reassured us that they’re either in the Imax business or want to be in the Imax business.” (In 2024, Imax generated 42 percent of its revenue domestically, 35 percent overseas and 23 percent in China.)
Gelfond added that Imax had been indexing a 15 percent market share for premium film releases on their opening weekend in 2025. “That’s a real ‘aha’ moment for exhibitors who haven’t been in the Imax business before, and they’re kind of scurrying to come up with a strategy,” the CEO told analysts. “A lot of people have tried to create competitors to Imax over the years, but the fact is, our brand and relationships with filmmakers are unmatched, and our technology is superior, and audiences know it.”
Proponents of Dolby Cinemas would argue with Gelfond’s assessment. Like Imax has done for years, the format is starting to work with filmmakers — such as the team behind Jurassic World Rebirth — throughout a film’s journey, from providing special cameras and other equipment to assisting with marketing. (4DX would pitch a fit at Gelfond’s comments as well).
But at least one well-informed distribution source says there are indeed exhibitors in the U.S. — this person wouldn’t name names — who are at least discussing the idea of banding together so as to remind folks that Imax isn’t the only game in town.
But one high-placed exhibition source offers an alternate version of events. While it’s true that PLFs were one of many topics addressed when exhibitors met up this past spring at CinemaCon, the nature of the conversation is now being exaggerated, the source says. Theater operators merely had a discussion as to how to maximize digital and premium large formats as the reach of 4DX, Screen X and others expand. Whether it ultimately leads to some sort of coalition remains to be seen.
This story appeared in the July 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
While Saturday Night Live’s actual 50th anniversary is October 11, the long-running variety sketch series put on quite a show with the anniversary special that earlier this year amid the 2025 TV schedule. NBC pulled out all the stops for the nearly three-hour event that paid tribute to SNL’s past and present. There were also plenty of stars on hand. From the outside looking in, he event seemed pretty cool, though Andy Samberg dropped an F-bomb while recalling how stressful it was.
Andy Samberg and fellow members of The Lonely Island came together for SNL50: The Anniversary Special in February for a digital short entitled “Anxiety.” Not only was the video a perfect representation of working on the show, but it was also perfect for the special. Samberg reflected on the special while appearing on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and admitted how he truly felt throughout the evening. Needless to say, months later, it sounds like Samberg is still anxious over it:
It’s stressful to be at the 50th. Make no mistake. Like, you love it, you would miss it, but you’re like, ‘It’s fuckin’ everyone who’s ever worked here is all here.’ And like, ‘Who’s gonna say hi to me? Who’s not gonna say hi to me? Who do I say hi to? Am I gonna be in the show? If I’m in the show too much, do I like what I’m doing? Am I pissed about that? If I’m not in the show, are they ignoring me?’
best SNL Digital Shorts. With that, it was unsprising that Samberg and his cohorts/childhood friends, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, were able to deliver such a clever short for the anniversary.
As stressful as the situation may have been for Samberg, it sounds like he did have some truly memorable moments throughout the night. He previously spoke about getting to speak to Billy Crystal and Eddie Murphy amid the festivities. The gravity of the occasion was also not lost on Samberg, who took pleasure in the event’s “50 years in the making” tagline.
Now that the special has come and gone, it’s unknown whether Andy Samberg will make another appearance on SNLfor the upcoming 51st season, but I think he is one of many stars who need to host again. Saturday Night Live is known for pulling out surprises, so it’s certainly not impossible that he’ll make a return, even despite the anxiety and stress it involves. For now, fans can watch the anniversary special and all 50 seasons with a Peacock subscription.
