Saturday Night: What We Know About the SNL Biopic

Get ready for nostalgia and laughs in Sony’s newest comedy Saturday Night! Here is everything you need to know before they go Live from New York!

Saturday Night Live is just shy of its 50 year anniversary. Hundreds of episodes, special guests, and comedians have garnered countless laughs and cemented SNL as a cultural force. But what if the series premiere never made it to air? Directed by Jason Reitman, best known for Juno, Saturday Night is a dramatized recreation of the night of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live. Find out how Lorne Michaels reigned in his crew and wacky cast of comedians to premiere one of the longest running programs in network television. In Sony’s upcoming drama-comedy Saturday Night, we will be heading to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and here is everything you should know!

The Plot

Saturday Night takes viewers behind the scenes of the premiere broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Set in 1975, the film follows the chaotic lead-up to the show’s debut. As the threat of cancellation grows, Lorne Michaels and a talented ensemble of young writers and comedians face last-minute changes and internal conflicts as the clock ticks down. The film offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos, creativity, and raw talent that birthed a cultural phenomenon.

The Cast

Saturday Night features an impressive ensemble cast, with over 80 speaking roles, you are sure to recognize one of the young comedians! Gabriel LaBelle stars as Lorne Micheals, alongside Rachel Sennott (Rosie Shuster), who you might recognize from Bottoms. Dylan O’Brien, recognizable from Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner trilogy, will play a young Dan Akyroyd, and Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard joins the cast as an NBC Page. Succession’s talented Nicholas Braun takes on dual roles as puppeteer Jim Henson and comedian Andy Kaufman. Other talented cast members include Cory Michael Smith, playing a young Chevy Chase, and Kaia Gerber as ​​Jacqueline Carlin. With so much talent, there is a lot to look forward to in Saturday Night!

The Fans

Fans are raving about the incredible casting for Saturday Night! During the press tour, fans have noticed the cast of Saturday Night has the same chemistry and comedy chops as the 1975 cast of Saturday Night Live they were trying to emulate!

At the Telluride Film Festival, fans were thrilled to see not only the star-studded human cast at the premiere, but also Nibs the Llama! Proving the cast’s undeniable chemistry, Nibs and Willem Dafoe shared a hilarious kiss on the red carpet!

The Critics

Saturday Night currently has an impressive 81% on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes after its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival! Entertainment Weekly’s Maureen Lee Lenker praised Saturday Night as “an infinitely re-watchable romp and a chronicle of a decisive moment in pop culture history.

Luckily, excited fans won’t have to wait much longer, in light of positive reviews, Sony has moved up Saturday Night’s release!

The Release Date

Get ready to laugh and calm your pre-show jitters during this wild ride! Saturday Night is set to release early in New York, LA, and Toronto on September 27th and nationwide on October 11th, exactly 50 years after the premier of Saturday Night Live!