Play video content EXCLUSIVE TMZSports.com Here's high school basketball phenom Shareef O'Neal going deep on one of the hottest topics in basketball -- the NBA age limit (19) ... which screws some players and helps others. 'Reef gets that not everyone grew up with Shaq money and some players need to get those life-changing checks ASAP, instead of spending a year playing for free. "They might just do that to feed their families," Shareef told TMZ Sports. "I think that's why a lot of kids go 1-and-done." But he also thinks NCAA basketball is the best way to prepare players for the pros -- and he points to the current NBA rookie class ... guys like Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum -- who are holding their own with the best in the world. Recently, there's been a lot of talk about finding alternatives to the NCAA -- even LaVar Ball's trying to get in on the action -- but 'Reef argues that 1 year of college education is better than none. "I think they should just … [Read more...] about Shareef O’Neal’s Cool with NBA Age Limit, Says NCAA Gets Kids Ready
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Will Kung Fu Panda 3 Be the First 2016 Box Office Hit?
While January isn't typically a big month for box office blockbusters, there can be the occasional movie that opens big. Two weeks ago, Ride Along 2 breathed some life into the new year with a respectable $35.2 million opening frame, but last weekend, it dropped a whopping 64.7% and slipped from first to third place, with the holdover The Revenant taking the top spot in its fifth week in theaters. This weekend is shaping up to be the biggest frame of the new year so far, with three heavily-promoted new releases, Kung Fu Panda 3, Fifty Shades of Black and The Finest Hours. According to the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com, Kung Fu Panda 3 is expected to win in a landslide. Kung Fu Panda 3 is expected to easily take the top spot with a projected $48 million, which isn't terribly surprising given this franchise's pedigree of critical acclaim and box office success. The animated sequel already has an impressive 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is opening in a projected 3,900 … [Read more...] about Will Kung Fu Panda 3 Be the First 2016 Box Office Hit?
Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans Boarding Aretha Franklin Biopic ‘Respect’
Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige and Marc Maron are among others who have boarded the MGM production that sees Jennifer Hudson starring as the Queen of Soul. Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker and Marlon Wayans have joined Jennifer Hudson in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. Also joining the production are Broadway star Audra McDonald, two-time Oscar nominees Mary J. Blige, Broadway actors Saycon Sengbloh and Hailey Kilgore, as well as Marc Maron, Tate Donavan, Tituss Burgess, and newcomer Skye Dakota Turner. Liesl Tommy, a Tony winner best known for her stage work, is directing the drama, which follows the Queen of Soul’s rise to fame in the 1960s and 1970s and chronicles her abusive marriage. Hudson is portraying Franklin. Whitaker will play Franklin’s father, a Baptist minister and popular preacher who was unfaithful to his wife. Wayans will play Ted White, Franklin’s first husband, whom she married when she was 19 and who was abusive. McDonald will play … [Read more...] about Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans Boarding Aretha Franklin Biopic ‘Respect’
Venice Competition to Include Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh, James Gray’s ‘Ad Astra,’ Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker’
The world’s oldest film festival will once again debut a slew of buzz-worthy titles on the Lido. The Venice Film Festival, the world’s oldest film fest, on Thursday unveiled the lineup for its 76th edition in Rome. That means awards season has officially kicked off in full swing as a new slate of Oscar hopefuls plan on launching their campaigns in Italy beginning in August. Jury head Lucrecia Martel will lead a jury of international film names to bestow top prizes: the Golden Lion for best film, the Grand Special Jury Prize, the Silver Lion for best director, the Special Jury Prize, the Volpi Cup for best actor and actress, the best screenplay honor and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor or actress. Other jury members include Piers Handling, Jennifer Kent, Stacy Martin, Rodrigo Prieto, Tsukamoto Shinya and Paolo Virzi. While the lineup doesn't feature the type of award shoo-ins like last year's festival, which included Roma, The Favourite and A … [Read more...] about Venice Competition to Include Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh, James Gray’s ‘Ad Astra,’ Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker’
Robin Lord Taylor Talks Alternate Universes, Shifting Timelines and The Mandela Effect [Exclusive]
The Mandela Effect is a term often used to describe the phenomenon of shared false memories. Some consider it a conspiracy theory, others believe it to be nothing more than an Internet meme. While there are a strong few who know, without a doubt, that our current plain of existence is constantly shifting, as we experience the merging of various alternate realities. Is it all psychological? Or is this really happening to us, with ripples tearing through the fabric of reality, causing changes, burps and hiccups both big and small? Fiona Broome coined the term in 2009, and it references the phenomenon where many people remember Nelson Mandela's death before it actually ever happened, with many claiming he died in prison. Not years later as a free man. These types of shared false memories have stretched into many other aspects, raging from movies, to geology to human history. Things aren't quite as they seem. The Berenstein Bears are now The Berenstain Bears, Ed McMahon never worked for … [Read more...] about Robin Lord Taylor Talks Alternate Universes, Shifting Timelines and The Mandela Effect [Exclusive]