Saturday Night Live was made to make people laugh, but a new film will focus on the drama behind the scenes that launched the late night staple in the 1970s.
Jason Reitman, 46, who has already cast Dickinson star Ella Hunt to portray the late Gilda Radner along with Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, has now decided which actors will take on the roles of the men in The Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players.
Gabriel LaBelle, 21, best known for his role as budding filmmaker Sammy in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, will portray creator and producer Lorne Michaels.
Nicholas Braun, 35, of Succession fame will take on the role of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson. He and The Muppets were part of the cast in the first year of the groundbreaking sketch comedy show.
Fargo and New Girl star Lamorne Morris, 40, will portray funnyman Garrett Morris, who was the show’s first Black actor.
Gabriel LaBelle, 21, will star in a new film about the origins of Saturday Night Live. The young actor, best known for his work in The Fabelmans, will portray SNL creator Lorne Michaels in SNL 1975
Although they share the same last name, the two actors are not related, but both share a gift for comedy.
Dylan O’Brien, 32, who took on the action in Teen Wolf and Maze Runner will tackle the role of chameleon Dan Ackroyd who imitated presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter along with cooking show host Julia Child.
Ackroyd’s fellow Blues Brother, the late John Belushi, will be portrayed by singer and actor Matt Wood. This will be the young star’s first major motion picture.
‘I’m extremely honored, thrilled, and grateful to announce I get to play the beautiful, ferocious, genius John Belushi in this awesome project,’ he wrote as he shared the news on social media.
Nicholas Podany, 27, will take on the role of legendary comedian Billy Crystal.
In a bit of trivia, the burgeoning actor was supposed to appear in the very first episode, but, his scene was cut.
Crystal did return in episode 17 of the first season.
He hosted several times over the years and became a regular cast member nearly 10 years later, in the 1984-1985 season.
Nicholas Braun, 35, of Succession fame will take on the role of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson. He and The Muppets were part of the cast in the first year of the groundbreaking sketch comedy show
Fargo and New Girl star Lamorne Morris, 40, will portray funnyman Garrett Morris, who was the show’s first Black actor. Although they share the same last name, the two actors are not related, but both share a gift for comedy
During that time he introduced the character Fernando, who would interview various celebrities and confuse them with someone else.
He introduced the catchphrases, ‘You look mahvelous’ and ‘It’s better to look good than to feel good.’
Podany is perhaps best known for his role in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow, starring Billy Crudup. He also play Albus Potter on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Dylan O’Brien, 32, who took on the action in Teen Wolf and Maze Runner will tackle the role of chameleon Dan Ackroyd who imitated presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter along with cooking show host Julia Child
The late John Belushi will be portrayed by actor Matt Wood. ‘I’m extremely honored, thrilled, and grateful to announce I get to play the beautiful, ferocious, genius John Belushi in this awesome project,’ he wrote as he shared the news on social media
Cory Michael Smith, 37, will portray Chevy Chase, the original Weekend Update anchor, who left the show early in the second season to pursue a movie career. Smith is best known for playing the Riddler in Gotham
Production on SNL 1975 is underway in New York
Cory Michael Smith, 37, will portray Chevy Chase, the original Weekend Update anchor, who left the show early in the second season to pursue a movie career. Smith is best known for playing the Riddler in Gotham.
Reitman co-wrote the script for SNL 1975 with Gil Kenan, based on interviews conducted with original cast members who were part of the original inception of the variety show.
The director’s late father, Ivan Reitman, was involved in the first episode of SNL when the show debuted in October 1975.
He later collaborated with Belushi on Animal House and with Ackroyd and Bill Murray, who joined the cast in 1977, on the hit comedy Ghostbusters.