Sony Pictures has unveiled the first trailer for ‘Saturday Night,’ a captivating film directed by Jason Reitman that delves into the turbulent beginnings of NBC’s beloved sketch comedy program, ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The film transports viewers back to October 11, 1975, the night of SNL’s premiere, where chaos reigns supreme.
The trailer opens at 10 p.m. ET, just 90 minutes before the inaugural episode is set to air. We witness the relentless pressure on SNL creator Lorne Michaels (portrayed by Gabriel LaBelle), as he desperately attempts to finalize the script and maintain order amongst his talented but often unpredictable cast. The young performers, eager to make their mark, inject an element of pandemonium into the already frenetic atmosphere.
Meanwhile, NBC executive Dick Ebersol (played by Cooper Hoffman) attempts to convince Michaels to abandon the show, even suggesting that the network desires its failure. However, Michaels remains steadfast in his belief in the show’s potential, declaring, “NBC is lucky to have something as relevant as this show. We just have to make it to air.”
The trailer showcases a stellar ensemble cast, including Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Tommy Dewey as Michael O’Donoghue, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, and Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase.
Other noteworthy performances include Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman/Jim Henson, Matthew Rhys as George Carlin, Andrew Barth Feldman as Neil Levy, Naomi McPherson as Janis Ian, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, Jon Batiste as Billy Preston, Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page, J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle, and Willem Dafoe as David Tebet.
Reitman directs ‘Saturday Night’ from a script he co-wrote with Gil Kenan. The duo previously collaborated on ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ and ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.’ Producing the film are Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, and Peter Rice. ‘Saturday Night’ is set to premiere in theaters on October 11, 2024.
