Next year, ‘Saturday Night Live’ will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, after making its premiere on October 11, 1975. The famed late-night comedy’s beginnings are also in the process of being captured in a new film, aptly titled ‘SNL 1975’. While little details have been released about the plot or script, casting information, behind-the-scenes pictures, as well as history can give us information on this anticipated origin story.
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LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT’S 1975
Though it may seem that the plot of ‘SNL 1975’ can be found with a simple Google search, the film’s story is a lot more complicated than what audiences saw during the first broadcast. Academy Award nominee Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan conducted interviews with all of the living inaugural cast, writers and crew of ‘Saturday Night Live’, before diving into the creation of this film. Because of this, there may be included storylines or anecdotes that audiences were not around to experience or watch on television. The film’s logline states, “On October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. This is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of SNL. The chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, as we countdown the minutes in real time to the infamous words, Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night.”
The story of ‘Saturday Night Live’ may seem simple from an outsider’s perspective. In 1974, Herbert Schlosser, NBC president at the time, requested to his vice president of late-night programming, Dick Ebersol, that he come up with a show to film the late-night time slot for Saturday nights. Ebersol approached writer and film producer Lorne Michaels, and they developed the variety show we now know today. The inaugural cast included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue, Gilda Radner, and George Coe.
Despite the premise seeming simple enough for the beginnings of the cult-classic television show, the very first show was anything but simple. The lead-up to the first ever ‘Saturday Night Live’ broadcast was a chaotic mess, from pages pulling audience members off the street, too many guests for the show, and little faith in the original “not quite ready for prime time players”. After digging up this history for the beloved series, you can imagine the chaotic scenes that are being filmed, along with moments that we may not even know about just yet.
WHO’S WHO?
So far, the cast of ‘SNL 1975’ is filled with names and newcomers. Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan have both written the film, and Reitman is set to direct. As for the cast, the original comedians have all been cast. Lamorne Morris, of ‘New Girl’, will be playing Garrett Morris. Dylan O’Brien is set to play Dan Aykroyd, and Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase. Matt Wood is playing John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Rainer, Emily Fairn will play Laraine Newman, and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin. Michael O’Donoghue will be played by Tommy Dewey, and the role of George Coe has not been announced.
The cast will also include Joe Chrest as the Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent, Taylor Gray as Al Franken, Mcabe Gregg as Tom Davis, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster and Billy Bryk in an unknown role. J.K. Simmons will play Milton Berle, and Nicolas Braun will be portraying beloved puppeteer, Jim Henson. Billy Crystal will be played by Nicolas Podany. Gabriel LaBelle and Cooper Hoffman will be playing the creators of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. Finn Wolfhard of ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘It’ has joined the cast, playing an NBC page, and Andrew Barth Feldman will be playing Neil Levy, an original writer.
So far, the casting has been a large topic of interest, and catalyst for the anticipation of ‘SNL 1975’. Not only is there plenty of star power, but while putting each cast member side-by-side with their real-life counterparts, the resemblance is uncanny. These actors have credits and performances to back up their acting chops. However, one thing that I appreciate about the casting is that though these actors have solid credits, not all of them are actors you would know by name and they all resemble the real people they are playing so well already in their appearances. Because of this, as well as the conducted interviews and research done for the writing of this film, I do believe that this film will be an authentic look at the behind-the-scenes of ‘Saturday Night Live’.
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BEHIND THE SCENES LOOKS
Filming has already begun at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. Photos have surfaced of outdoor shoots, including Finn Wolfhard as the hard-at-work page. At NBC, pages are young professionals who are looking to pursue business or customer-service and hospitality work, working across NBC studios, from giving tours or even working behind-the-scenes on different productions.
Other behind the scenes photos include the classic 1970s taxis outside of 30 Rock and even some cast members filming outside of the studio. However, many of these shots and videos have yet to give away too much of the plot of the film itself.
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Though there is yet to be a release date, trailer, or many photos from the set, ‘SNL 1975’ is one of the most anticipated upcoming films. It’s no shock with a star-studded cast, premise that anyone can get behind, as well as the notable direction that audiences are already gearing up for this film. ‘Saturday Night Live’ superfans are hoping that the film will be released in 2025 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the program. While the information we have is little, there is sure to be more as filming continues at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City.
By Abigail Johnson
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Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
