An upcoming film will tell the story of the beginning of Saturday Night Live. According to Deadline, Jason Reitman will direct the untitled film for Sony Pictures.
Reitman’s previous directing work includes 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, 2018’s The Front Runner, and Tully. He will also co-write the script with Gil Kenan. The duo previously worked on the script for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, as well as the upcoming sequel. Kenan will also direct the Ghostbusters sequel, which is scheduled be released on December 20.
The film will look at the behind-the-scenes moments from the night of the series premiere of Saturday Night Live in 1975. For the script, Reitman and Kenan interviewed the living cast, writers, and crew who worked on the first episode.
Saturday Night Live was created by Lorne Michaels and premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975. The series was initially called NBC’s Saturday Night, before switching to its current name during Season 2. The original cast consisted of Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue, and Gilda Radner. The first episode was also the only one to feature George Coe as a cast member.
The series premiere featured George Carlin as the host. Billy Preston and Janis Ian were the musical guests. The first episode also introduced the “Weekend Update” segment, which was anchored by Chase. The premiere also featured the Muppets segment “The Land of Gourch,” which was a recurring segment throughout the show’s first season. The segment was retired in Season 2.
Throughout the long-running sketch comedy’s history, the series has had many notable cast members, including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Kristen Wiig. Some of the show’s popular sketches have been turned into feature films, including The Blues Brothers (1980), Wayne’s World (1992), and MacGruber (2010).
No official release date has been announced for the upcoming film. The October 11, 1975 episode of Saturday Night Live is currently available to stream on Peacock.
