Jason Reitman‘s explosive SNL 1975, the movie that will shed light on the chaotic opening night of Saturday Night Live, is beginning to take shape after the announcement of four pivotal cast members, set to take on the roles of the pioneering members of the sketch show’s troupe — all of whom were A-listers in their own right. According to Deadline, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith, and Matt Wood have joined the film, with Morris playing Garrett Morris, while O’Brien will play Dan Aykroyd, Smith will play Chevy Chase, and Wood will play John Belushi. The original screenplay is written by Reitman and Gil Kenan, director of the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Saturday Night Live came to be when Johnny Carson requested the cancellation of weekend reruns of The Tonight Show to shorten his workweek. This left NBC with a vacant 90-minute slot on Saturday nights, leading to the conception of a new variety show. Dick Ebersol brainstormed the idea and chose Lorne Michaels to spearhead it.
Morris recently appeared in the fifth season of Fargo on FX, portraying Deputy Witt Farr. O’Brien recently starred in Ponyboi, featured at the Sundance Film Festival 2024. His upcoming projects include Caddo Lake and the thriller Anniversary with a notable cast including Diane Lane. Smith is seen in May December as Julianne Moore‘s son and played Varian Fry in Netflix‘s Transatlantic. Wood‘s previous roles include Broadway performances in Spongebob Squarepants and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, along with TV appearances in shows like Law and Order: SVU.
What was the Opening Night of ‘SNL’ Like?
The initial week of the show almost went completely off the rails, with several sketches dropped for being inappropriate or too risky for live broadcast. It included short films by Albert Brooks, which were later discontinued for budgetary and creative reasons. The first live sketch was “The Wolverines,” featuring Belushi and revolving around a foreigner learning English through ridiculous phrases. Chase made history as the first to say “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
The premiere was hosted by George Carlin, who delivered three monologues but couldn’t participate in sketches due to being intoxicated. Paul Simon made a cameo to promote his upcoming hosting. Musical guests included Billy Preston and Janis Ian, and the episode also showcased Andy Kaufman as a guest star. The original cast, including Belushi, Chase, Aykroyd, and others, made their debut.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on SNL 1975.
via Collider