![Actor Chevy Chase attends the taping of Taping of "Saturday Night Live" on February 14, 1976 at Rockefeller Center in New York City. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GettyImages-139758327-1-e1723138907508.jpg?quality=100&w=384&h=216&crop=1)
The original Not Ready For Primetime Players are going to be getting ready for primetime in Saturday Night. The film features an all-star cast playing the inaugural cast of the iconic sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. From just the casting news alone, the movie has become one of Hollywood’s most highly-anticipated upcoming films.
Over the last 49 seasons, SNL has become a pop culture phenomenon and launched the careers of Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Pete Davidson, and more. Saturday Night is taking things back to the very beginning. So, who is in the cast of Saturday Night? What exactly is the movie about? Hollywood Life has all the latest news about the Saturday Night Live movie.
‘Saturday Night’ Cast
Saturday Night has assembled an incredible cast to play the original Saturday Night Live crew. This includes figures who were on the stage at Studio 8H and behind the camera. See below to find out who is playing the notable names.
![Cory Michael Smith](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/snl-1975-embed-2.jpg?quality=100)
- Willem Dafoe as David Tebet, NBC’s VP of Talent Relations
- Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, an original SNL cast member
- Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, an original SNL cast member
- Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, Chevy Chase’s ex-wife
- Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, an original SNL cast member, and the show’s first Black cast member
- Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, an original SNL cast member
- Andrew Barth Feldman as Neil Levy, an SNL writer
- Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, an original SNL cast member
- Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, an original SNL cast member
- Matt Wood as John Belushi, an original SNL cast member
- Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, an SNL writer who was married to Lorne Michaels
- Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, the creator and producer of SNL
- Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, an SNL producer
- Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page
When Ella’s casting was announced, she shared the news on Instagram and wrote, “Can’t believe I get to say this!!! I’M PLAYING GILDA RADNER… Holy moly I’m so excited.”
Matt, who was a part of the original Broadway cast of Spongebob Squarepants, wrote on Instagram, “I’m extremely honored, thrilled, and grateful to announce I get to play the beautiful, ferocious, genius John Belushi in this awesome project.”
Who Is Directing ‘Saturday Night’?
Jason Reitman is directing Saturday Night. He is also co-writing the screenplay with Gil Kenan. Jason, who is the son of famed director Ivan Reitman, is known for directing movies like Juno, Up in the Air, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. He has received 4 Academy Award nominations.
When Is ‘Saturday Night’ Going to be Released?
Saturday Night has a release date of October 11, 2024 — just in time for the comedy sketch series’ 49th anniversary.
‘Saturday Night’ Trailer
The trailer for the upcoming movie confirmed the film’s release date and showcased the original cast and crew’s chaotic beginning.
What Is ‘Saturday Night’ Going To Be About?
![SNL](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/snl-1975-embed-1.jpg?quality=100)
The film will chronicle the exciting lead-up to Saturday Night Live’s debut in 1975. The synopsis featured on Deadline reads: “On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Saturday Night is the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s SNL. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real-time to the infamous words, ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!'”
Who Hosted the First ‘SNL’ in 1975?
Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975. Comedian George Carlin was the first-ever SNL host. The original Not Ready for Primetime Players were Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Michael O’Donoghue, and George Coe.