Posted in: NBC, Preview, TV | Tagged: adam sandler, nbc, preview, saturday night live, snl

Adam Sandler May Return to Host SNL S48; Talks Lorne Michaels Rumors

With Lorne Michaels & NBC's Saturday Night Live set to kick off Season 48 this weekend with Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller hosting with Kendrick Lamar as the musical guest, we were expecting to get an on-the-set promo or two on Thursday… but so far? We have been thwarted. But we do have some intel about who might just be making a return to Studio 8H to join the hosting ranks this season. While the remainder of this year still has Brendan Gleeson hosting with musical guest Willow on October 8th, and Megan Thee Stallion hosting & performing on October 15th, it looks like the 2023 half of the season could see actor, comedian & SNL alum Adam Sandler step into the hosting spotlight. Speaking with the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Sandler revealed that he'd had conversations with Michaels about possibly hosting earlier this season, but a recent surgery pushed the timing of those plans back. Aside from appearing in two "SNL @ Home" sketches in 2020, Sandler last hosted the late-night sketch comedy/music series back in 2019 (with musical guest Shawn Mendes). As for those rumors of Michaels stepping away from SNL or the show ending with its 50th season, Sandler doesn't see it. "It's a pretty special place that gets cooler and cooler. I don't see it stopping. I don't see Lorne stopping," Sandler shared. "He doesn't sound to me like he's stopping when I talk to him. He's still excited about it."

Now here's a look back to earlier this week when SNL checked in with Teller during read-thru and we also got a chance to meet up with new featured players, Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker. And looking ahead, October 8th brings Brendan Gleeson as host and musical guest Willow, while October 15th finds Megan Thee Stallion doing double duty as both host & musical guest. But for now, here's a look at the four newest cast members, followed by a look at Teller hard at work during read-thru.

Set to return for its jaw-dropping 48th season this weekend, here's a look back at the intro video released by NBC's Saturday Night Live earlier this week:

Speaking with The New York Times, Michaels addressed the casting changes, labeling the upcoming season as "a year of reinvention" that could lead to some "exhilarating" change. He also had some reassuring words for "Weekend Update" fans and teased what's in store for SNL's big 50th-anniversary celebration. Here are some of the highlights:

COVID-19 Fallout Resulted in Much Larger SNL Cast Than Usual: "The pandemic had put us in this position where no one could really leave because there were no jobs. And at the same time, if I don't add new people every year, then the show isn't the show. There have to be new people, for both our sake and also for the audience."

Michaels Believes Cast Departures are Good Things for SNL: "We got to a point where we had a lot of people, and people weren't getting enough playing time. The way the series has survived is by that level of renewal. The price of success is that people go off and do other things; their primary obligation is to their talent and to keep pushing that. And there's something so much better about the show when all that matters is the show. There's a time to say goodbye, and there's a natural time for it, but the natural time just got interfered with by the pandemic."

… Except with Colin Jost, Michael Che & "Weekend Update": "Particularly, coming into a midterm election, I just need that part ['Weekend Update' with Che & Jost] to be as solid as it is."

SNL's 50th Anniversary/Season? Think Big: "The 50th will be a big event. We'll bring everyone back from all 50 years and hosts and all of that. It will be a very emotional and very strong thing. There won't be as many plus-ones, I can tell you that much."

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