Monday, February 17, 2025

Streep makes SNL debut for 50th anniversary special

Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a televised special last night. The three-hour production featured a slew of past and present cast members, as well as multiple celebrities, most of whom have connections with the show, having either hosted or been musical guests in the past. 

Meryl is not one of those people. Despite regular suggestions/pleas from the public, she's never hosted the show, and certainly hasn't been the musical guest. Last night, however, she made her first appearance on the show in a reboot of the classic sketch "Close Encounter" (which happens to be one of my all-time favorites), where government officials interview people who have reportedly survived alien abductions. Kate McKinnon is sort of the lead in the sketch, portraying a...let's just say 'not sophisticated' woman who very colorfully describes her experiences with the abductions. Meryl joins Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson in the sketch (her part starts at 4:36).


I cracked up quite a few times, particularly when Meryl broke character a bit when delivering her last line. This cracked up McKinnon as well, which was fun to see. Meryl seemed to be channeling a bit of Violet Weston with her cigarette and southern drawl. There were also fun little side references to Into the Woods and The Devil Wears Prada, drawing applause from the audience. It was sweet to see McKinnon hug Meryl and give her a little peck on the cheek as they exited the stage. I wonder if McKinnon specifically reached out to Meryl to see if she wanted to participate. The two had worked together on McKinnon's 2019 Audible original podcast Heads Will Roll. I remember listening to it during lockdown and really enjoying it. Or maybe Meryl's "friend" Martin Short had a connection that ended up landing Streep on the SNL special. The two were seen together at a concert event for the 50th anniversary special a few days ago, where Meryl drew more laughs for flipping off Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer (in good humor in fitting with their bit).  

Speaking of The Devil Wears Prada, we're now well into February without any additional news on whether or not a sequel is moving forward. Some earlier reports had suggested filming was to begin in February (still could I guess). Presumed cast members have been pretty cagey when asked about it in interviews in recent months. Stanley Tucci in particular said flat out that he didn't know if it was happening. But more recently he seemed to intimate that he knew more than he originally let on, saying to Variety last month, "I know they’re working on it. If it happens, I would be so happy, but I cannot give you any information. Otherwise, I’ll go to the actor’s prison or something."

Still plenty of time to get filming underway for a 2026 (20th anniversary of original) release date. 

23 comments:

  1. Emily Blunt is currently filming Steven Spielberg's sci-fi movie, while the status of Prada 2 remains unclear.
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nj.com/entertainment/2025/02/steven-spielberg-movie-filming-in-nj-just-put-out-another-casting-call-for-people-with-specific-skills.html%3foutputType=amp

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    1. Yeah, not sure how long of a shoot it's supposed to be for the Spielberg movie. I like the idea of a 2026 release for Prada2, which means they could realistically film anytime through the end of the year, or even into early '26. I really hope The Corrections moves forward. Would expect a fall shooting schedule for that but who knows.

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    2. The wait has been so long; I'm getting a bit anxious, sigh😔. I really hope there will be updates about Prada 2 or filming news for The Corrections soon.

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    3. Nerves are fair - especially with Anne Hathaway's schedule too (filming a bunch this year and promoting as well).

      That said, the DisInsider (a sometimes reliable scooper site) said " ...As for Blunt, her schedule is packed with a new Steven Spielberg film and will then work on The Devil Wears Prada 2."

      I won't start even hoping for Corrections until it lands a network and director.

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    4. The Corrections has been shelved twice before, so cautious optimism is warranted. I think the subject matter and content would be a perfect fit for Meryl. Let’s hope it finally gets made.

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    5. Based on the previously reported synopsis, Prada2 seems to focus primarily on Meryl and Emily Blunt, with Anne Hathaway likely appearing only in a cameo role

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  2. At this stage, I'm happy to watch anything that has Meryl in it, be it OMITB or SNL. I also suspect she may have other priorities in her life right now given her separation from her husband like her 'friendship' with Martin Short, new grandchildren, her daughter's second divorce and so forth. I also think if she'd wanted to be in a feature film, it would have happened by now. 4-5 years is too long a break especially for super-talented, legendary actresses like her. On the same subject, I don't think Prada 2 is happening anytime soon as Anne and Emily have other projects lined up for the year. Maybe Meryl will make another SNL appearance now that she has tasted it and probably loved it and the audience adored her. Whatever it is, I'm here for it.

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    1. Anne doesn't really matter as she would have a small role anyway

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  3. In the first two years, there weren’t even rumors about potential projects. Starting last year, some updates gradually began circulating. I believe she’s genuinely taking on acting roles again. The process from initial project announcements to actual filming does require waiting time, and everything so far remains within a normal timeframe. As for those trivial family or personal matters, she’s navigated similar challenges before. I don’t consider them significant issues. The biggest hurdle was her separation from Don — severing a decades-long relationship demands recovery for anyone. Clearly, she has regained her footing now.

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  4. that was in 2017, she made 6 or 7 movies immediately after. there are other reasons.

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    1. until covid happened, is the point, obviously the combination of not fully processing the separation and a pandemic got to her

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  5. Is this person reliable, saying
    The Corrections will never be made.
    https://x.com/showbiz411/status/1899110334171873428?t=ek4Vqh_OFir3R5T-eHsbqA&s=19

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    1. I don't think they have any idea, other the fact that The Corrections has had such a troubled journey to the screen that it's natural to think it'll never happen.

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    2. It seems that people are not optimistic about The Correction. God bless this TV series to be produced and Meryl to perform successfully in the play.

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  6. I google 'Streep' every morning without fail and all I have been getting is Meryl attending this or that event, most of the time with Martin Short. Sadly, there's nothing on the horizon at the moment. No Prada 2, no mamma mia, no corrections. I'm just cautiously optimistic, that's all!

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    1. Yes, there's very little to talk about, only stuff to hope for. Would be great if we got Prada 2 (potential blockbuster), MM3 (another potential blockbuster), Corrections (serious Meryl-esque limited series), and then maybe something else will come along like State of Wonder adaptation or a great biopic with a solid director. The fact that she's even attached to some of these things convinces me that she very much wants to keep acting.

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  7. did you see Amanda Seyfried's viral Joni cover, she learned it during Covid, which kind of makes sense with actors taking a few years preparing for a role, plus playing younger Meryl would make so much sense (although they don't look like Joni)... really manifesting this happens

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    1. Yep I've seen all of that. I don't have high hopes or expectations that Meryl will be portraying Joni Mitchell in any way at this point. Even if Cameron Crowe ends up making it, I would be suprised if it weren't just a specific time in her life with one actor. Seyfried looked great.

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  8. I don't think the Joni Mitchell biopic will be filmed anytime soon. No news on Corrections either. For Prada and Mamma Mia sequels, I also think it's not happening as quickly as we fans would like them to be. At this point, I have no high hopes of any new major project except maybe another cameo in Murder in the Building where she might be shot in a zoom call from NZ. Now that her romance with M. Short is all but confirmed, I guess she would want to spend time with him as much as possible, like in the past year. Oh well, I guess we should be happy for her since she's practically glowing in her romantic life.

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    1. In fact, Meryl wasn’t working before Martin came along. I don’t think her emotional life affected her career—even her years-long separation from Don didn’t lead her to spend more time on work. Before filming OMITB she hadn’t acted for two full years.
      On the contrary, I believe that being happy and energized makes it easier for her to work. Artists need some kind of stimulation to thrive

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    2. Another EMMY win for Meryl yesterday.

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    3. Or it could also mean she's so happy and energised now that acting has taken a less important role in her life. When I first retired and got to do the things I love and realised I don't miss work at all. Retired for twelve years and still loving it!

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