Saturday Night Live’s debut was far from smooth, as the trailer for Jason Reitman’s new film, ‘Saturday Night‘, reveals the tumultuous behind-the-scenes journey leading up to the iconic sketch show’s launch in it’s historic October 11, 1975 premiere.
The trailer captures the frenzy of the final 90 minutes before the first episode aired, featuring a dramatic showdown between series creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and NBC executive Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman).
Meet the Stellar Cast of ‘Saturday Night’
Reitman and Gil Kenan crafted the screenplay after interviewing the original cast, writers, and crew members who were there for the show’s launch, which is now approaching its 50th season. Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, and Peter Rice serve as producers, with the project previously working under the title SNL 1975. Executive producers include Erica Mills and JoAnn Perritano.
The film’s cast features Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin.
The film also stars Willem Dafoe as David Tebet, Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson, Matthew Rhys as George Carlin, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle, Jon Batiste as Billy Preston, Andrew Barth Feldman as Neil Levy, Naomi McPherson as Janis Ian, and Finn Wolfhard in the role of an NBC page.
The film dramatizes the intense final 90 minutes before SNL’s debut on October 11, 1975, at 11:30 p.m. Sony is highly enthusiastic about the project, scheduling its theatrical release for October 11.
