Jason Reitman
| Photo Credit: RICHARD SHOTWELL
Canadian-American filmmaker Jason Reitman’s film, which is about the inaugural broadcast of ‘Saturday Night Live’, will be hitting theatres on October 11, reported Variety. The release date is especially noteworthy because October 11 is the same date of the iconic comedy show’s initial broadcast, which will begin its 50th season this autumn.
The film’s official synopsis explains, “a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever.” The Sony movie, officially titled “Saturday Night,” is based on the true story of what happened behind the scene in the 90 minutes leading up to broadcast.
“Saturday Night” is directed by Reitman from a script he penned with his “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” co-writer Gil Kenan, drawing from the pair’s series of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the historic production.
George Carlin hosted the first 1975 edition of ‘SNL’ on NBC, which included musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian. The episode featured Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue, and Gilda Radner, as well as George Coe, who would not return as a cast member. The show also featured a performance by comedian Andy Kaufman. Dick Ebersol created the variety program and hired Lorne Michaels as showrunner, who now oversees the long-running series.
Reitman and Kenan (whose overall production partnership with Sony has previously produced the popular “Ghostbusters” sequels “Afterlife” and “Frozen Empire”) co-produce the film with Jason Blumenfeld and Peter Rice.
