According to Deadline, Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman has found his next major project with Sony Pictures in the form of a Saturday Night Live movie about the behind-the-scenes story of its first episode in 1975. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker will be directing the untitled movie from a screenplay written by Gil Kenan, based on real-life accounts of the iconic comedy show’s first opening night.
The untitled movie will be produced by Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld and Erica Mills. This marks Reitman and Kenan’s latest collaboration after previously working together in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. They’re currently filming the sequel to 2021’s supernatural comedy which will bring back the franchise to New York City.
What to Expect in the Saturday Night Live Movie?
The first episode of Saturday Night Live was broadcast on October 11, 1975, when a group of young comedians and writers including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett, Morries, Larraine Newman, and Michael O’Donoghue changed television forever. Reitman and Kenan are conducting a series of interviews with all living cast, writers, and crew who were present during the first night.
The film tells “the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first SNL broadcast, retelling chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, ‘Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night,'” reads the synopsis.
The long-running sketch comedy is currently on its 48th season with creator Lorne Michaels still executive producing the series. Saturday Night Live served as a launching pad for a number of comedians and actors including Bill Murray, Norm Macdonald, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and more.
