Saturday Night: Release date, Trailer, cast, plot, & Everything we know About Jason Reitman’s SNL Movie

Saturday Night is already generating major buzz as it gears up for its big-screen debut, with a newly released trailer that’s taken the internet by storm. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film dives deep into the chaotic, behind-the-scenes drama of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. 

Set against the backdrop of a program that almost didn’t make it to air, the film captures the madness, tension, and magic of the 90 minutes before SNL changed television forever. With a star-studded cast portraying key figures from that night, Saturday Night promises to deliver the humor and chaos of those fateful moments, making it one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024.

Curious about the latest cast, the shocking plot twists, and the secrets behind recreating that iconic night? Keep reading as we unveil more exciting updates on this thrilling comedy-drama. We’ll be updating this article with fresh details as they emerge, so stay tuned!

Release date & Where to Watch

Saturday Night is set to hit theaters a bit earlier than initially planned. The movie will first premiere in select cities—Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto—on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, coinciding perfectly with the day before Saturday Night Live kicks off its 50th season on NBC. After this limited release, it will expand to more theaters on Oct. 4 before going nationwide on Oct. 11, 2024.

Originally titled SNL 1975, Saturday Night will have its wide release on the 49th anniversary of the first-ever SNL episode. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film had its world premiere at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2024, and is also scheduled to screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

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Plot

Saturday Night is based on the true story of the chaos and magic that unfolded behind the scenes in the final 90 minutes before the first-ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Reitman and Gil Kenan, the film brings to life the frantic energy at 30 Rockefeller Center as the cast and crew scramble to pull off a show that would change television history forever.

As network executives looked on with doubt and set pieces malfunctioned, the cast and crew—including comedic legends like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and John Belushi—worked furiously to get everything in place before the live broadcast. Saturday Night captures this high-pressure environment in real time, showcasing the unpredictability, humor, and near-disaster moments that nearly derailed the show. 

With a blend of drama and comedy, the movie recounts the extraordinary story of how these young comedians and writers pulled together to make television history, marking the start of a cultural revolution.

Cast

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• Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) as Lorne Michaels
• Dylan O'Brien (The Maze Runner) as Dan Aykroyd
• Cory Michael Smith (May December) as Chevy Chase
• Rachel Sennott (Bottoms) as Rosie Shuster
• Lamorne Morris (Fargo season 5) as Garrett Morris
• Nicholas Braun (Succession) as Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman
• Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) as an NBC page
• Jon Batiste (American Symphony) as Billy Preston
• Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga) as Gilda Radner
• Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) as Dick Ebersol
• Andrew Barth Feldman (No Hard Feelings) as Neil Levy
• Musician Naomi McPherson as Janis Ian
• Willem Dafoe (Kinds of Kindness) as David Tebet
• JK Simmons (Red One) as Milton Berle
• Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale) as Jacqueline Carlin
• Nicholas Podany (Hello Tomorrow!) as comedian and actor Billy Crystal
• Matthew Rhys (The Americans) as stand-up comedian George Carlin
• Taylor Gray (9-1-1) as writer and performer Al Franken
• Mcabe Gregg (Shameless) as comedian Tom Davis
• Joe Chrest (21 Jump Street) as Weekend Update creator Herb Sargent
• Leander Suleiman (Sweet Magnolias) as writer Anne Beatts
• Catherine Curtin (Insecure) as NBC employee Joan Carbunkle
• Ellen Boscov (Porcelain)
• Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife)

Official Trailer

Check out the new Saturday Night trailer for a glimpse of this highly anticipated film starring Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J.K. Simmons, Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, and more. The movie tells the true story of the young comedians and writers who forever changed television and culture in the 90 minutes leading up to the first-ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live.

The previous Saturday Night trailer offers a glimpse into the tense and hilarious moments as Lorne Michaels and his team prepare for the debut episode of Saturday Night Live. Released by Sony Pictures on Aug. 8, the trailer quickly went viral, building anticipation for the film's theatrical release.

Will Saturday Night be on Streaming?

Saturday Night will have an exclusive theatrical release starting Oct. 11 but is expected to transition to streaming afterward. Given that Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film, has a deal with Netflix, it's likely that the movie will be available on the platform once its theatrical run concludes.

Saturday Night Reviews

Following its debut at several major fall festivals, Saturday Night has started receiving reviews. As of Sept. 9, the film holds a "Fresh" rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 critic reviews with an average score of 7.6/10. On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 66 out of 100 from 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Variety's Peter Debruge praised the film, noting that director Jason Reitman "finds the right ensemble to capture the lunacy from which SNL was born.”

Filming

Saturday Night was officially announced in May 2023, and filming started nearly a year later, in March 2024. Production began outside New York City's Rockefeller Plaza before relocating to Georgia, where the rest of the film was shot in Atlanta and Fayetteville.

Behind the Scenes

Jason Reitman directs Saturday Night, which is co-written by Reitman and Gil Kenan. The two have previously collaborated on Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Reitman, a four-time Oscar nominee known for films like Juno, Up in the Air, Thank You For Smoking, and Young Adult, brings his directing expertise to the project.

The film is produced by Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, Peter Rice (28 Years Later), and Jason Blumenfeld, a frequent collaborator on the Ghostbusters films. Erica Mills and JoAnn Perritano serve as executive producers.

Adding to the film's talent, Academy Award-winning composer Jon Batiste (Soul) not only scores the music but also stars as Billy Preston.

Check out the special behind-the-scenes video for a closer look at Saturday Night below.