In its nearly five decades on the air, Saturday Night Live has seen some amazing casts, but the most memorable, iconic, and influential batch of SNL cast members remains the series’ very first ensemble. The impact they created in just five seasons (or less) was so historic, it makes you wish you could experience what took place backstage at Studio 8H all those years ago. Curious fans will receive that chance when SNL 1975 comes out.
The Not Ready for Primetime Players, executive producer Lorne Michaels, and others involved with the origins of the sketch comedy series — when it was still called NBC’s Saturday Night — are the subjects of an upcoming biopic from Academy Award nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman. In anticipation of the film, let’s take a look at all that we know about it so far. Not live and from wherever you are reading this right now, this is SNL 1975.
What Is The SNL 1975 Release Date?
There is no set release date yet for SNL 1975, which was only announced in mid-2023. Therefore, a spot on the upcoming 2024 movies schedule might be unlikely. However, there is potential that it will hit theaters in 2025, which is an especially appropriate time, given that it would commemorate the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.
A Dramatized, Behind-The Scenes Look At SNL’s First Episode
Indeed, it was nearly 50 years ago when we first heard the phrase, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” as said by SNL one-season wonder, Chevy Chase, in the sketch comedy series’ premiere episode. What happened backstage at Studio 8H that very night will serve as the basis of SNL 1975.
According to Deadline, the film — which is being distributed by Sony Pictures — will be a dramatization of October 11, 1975, chronicling the moments leading up to the historic broadcast in real time. The script is based on first-hand testimonies of the events by surviving cast, writers, and crew members.
The SNL 1975 Cast Includes Lamorne Morris And Dylan O’Brien
For many die-hard fans of Saturday Night Live, the original cast is simply irreplaceable. However, Sony has managed to put together an ensemble of actors who not only have the looks, but the talent, to make the comedy legends they are portraying proud. See for yourself by taking a look at who is playing who in the SNL 1975 cast:
Lamorne Morris (Garrett Morris)
There is no relation between Lamorne Morris and Garret Morris, save the fact that the former New Girl cast member is portraying the comedian in SNL 1975. The closest that Lamorne previously came to starring in a biopic was when he played Martin Luther King Jr. in a segment from one of the funniest shows on Hulu, Drunk History.
Dylan O’Brien (Dan Aykroyd)
As Dan Aykroyd — one half of the Blues Brothers and the star and creator of hilarious SNL sketches like “Super Bass-O-Matic ’76” — we have Dylan O’Brien. While he is best known from MTV’s Teen Wolf cast and the Maze Runner movies, the actor also does have previous experience portraying real-life people — namely oil rig worker Caleb Holloway in Deepwater Horizon.
Ella Hunt (Gilda Radner)
The late Gilda Radner — famous for such characters as the hard-of-hearing Emily Litella and the obnoxious over-sharer Rosanne Roseannadanna — will be played by Ella Hunt. The English actor and musician is best known for playing the title role of the 2017 horror musical comedy, Anna and the Apocalypse, and for her portrayal of Sue Gilbert on Apple TV+’s Dickinson.
Emily Fairn (Laraine Newman)
One of the younger SNL cast members of the 1970s era (not to mention one of the more underrated Not Ready for Primetime Players), Laraine Newman is best known as the Coneheads’ teenage daughter, Connie. She will be portrayed by English actor Emily Fairn, who made her debut on the BBC crime drama, The Responder, and later appeared in one of the best Black Mirror episodes from Season 6, “Demon 79.”
Kim Matula (Jane Curtin)
Playing Jane Curtin — who became the first woman to host “Weekend Update” after succeeding Chevy Chase — is Kim Matula, who is nearly a dead ringer for the future 3rd Rock from the Sun star during SNL’s early years. Curtin is the second real-life person that the former The Bold and the Beautiful cast member will play, following her portrayal of Laura Ingraham on Season 3 of American Crime Story.
Cory Michael Smith (Chevy Chase)
Not only does Cory Michael Smith have previous experience playing a real person (astronaut Roger B. Chaffee in 2018’s First Man), but he also stars in a 2024 Academy Award-nominated film based on the concept of cinematic real-life portrayals called May December. While the Gotham cast’s Riddler actor has certainly proven he has the talent to play Chevy Chase in SNL 1975, he could have gotten the part with his chin alone.
Matt Wood (John Belushi)
Also bearing a close resemblance to his SNL 1975 role is Matt Wood, who stars as John Belushi — the late, legendary comedic force who went on to star in films like Animal House and the aforementioned The Blues Brothers. This film marks the major motion picture debut of Wood, whom some might recognize as Officer Kenneth on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit or from an episode of Difficult People as “Drunk Santa” — a type of role he and Belushi actually have in common.
Gabriel LaBelle (Lorne Michaels)
The closest that Gabrielle LaBelle has previously come to portraying a real person is his performance as a young aspiring filmmaker in The Fabelmans, which is inspired by the early life of co-writer and director Steven Spielberg. Now, the American Gigolo actor is taking on the role of SNL’s creator and current executive producer, Lorne Michaels.
Cooper Hoffman (Dick Ebersol)
NBC’s then Director of Weekend Late Night Programming, Dick Ebersol, played a pivotal role in Saturday Night Live’s development and would eventually take over the show as executive producer from 1981-1985. He will be played in by Cooper Hoffman, the son of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who made his acting debut as Gary Valentine in the Licorice Pizza cast in 2021.
Rachel Sennott (Rosie Shuster)
Rosie Shuster — who served as a writer for SNL in its infancy and was also married to Lorne Michaels at the time — is played by Rachel Sennott. The actor rose to fame in recent years for her lead role in Shiva Baby, her stand-out performance in the A24 horror movie favorite, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and 2023’s coming-of-age comedy, Bottoms.
What Is SNL 1975 Rated?
According to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, SNL 1975 is not even scheduled to start filming until March. Therefore, we have a while before the MPA will have a chance to review it and give it a proper rating. However, we imagine that, to maintain authenticity, it could potentially get an R rating for language.
Jason Reitman Co-Writes And Directs SNL 1975
At the helm of SNL 1975 is Jason Reitman — the Academy Award nominated filmmaker behind such acclaimed dramedies as Thank You For Smoking and Juno, who first tried his hand at biopics with 2018’s The Front Runner. The director actually has a personal connection to the variety show’s legacy as the son of the late Ivan Reitman, who worked with several of the show’s stars on films like National Lampoon’s Animal House and Ghostbusters. In fact, Jason recently revived the horror comedy franchise as the director of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was also the last film his father produced before his death in 2022.
Reitman’s co-writer on Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Gil Kenan — who directed the 2024 follow-up, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire — is also his co-writer for SNL 1975. The duo personally conducted extensive interviews with those who witnessed what took place backstage at Studio 8H on the day of NBC’s Saturday Night’s premiere to prepare.
How To Watch The First Episode Of Saturday Night Live
Before you bear witness to what went on on the night of SNL’s first live broadcast when SNL 1975 hits theaters, it might help to refresh your memory — or discover it for the first time — by giving the show a watch. The episode, hosted by comedian George Carlin and featuring musical guests Janice Ian and Billy Preston, is available to stream with a Peacock subscription.
Stream the first episode of Saturday Night Live on Peacock.
There have been some great Saturday Night Live movies, but it is truly exciting to finally see a film that is actually about the show itself.
