SNL 1975 Movie Has Found Its Young Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, And John Belushi
Jason Reitman is staying mighty busy these days. Less than 24 hours after the release of the latest trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," four major casting announcements were made for his next project, "SNL 1975." The film will attempt to tell the true story of what went on behind the scenes before the broadcast premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on NBC, highlighting the real-time bedlam with some of the most legendary names in American comedy. Reitman co-wrote the script with his "Ghostbusters" collaborator Gil Kenan and is basing the story on the firsthand accounts of those who were there. Lest we forget, Reitman's father is the legendary Ivan Reitman, so these comedy titans were the friends and colleagues of the family. If anyone can get serious insight, it's Reitman.
The first wave of cast announcements included some serious heavy hitters, with "The Fabelmans" star Gabriel LaBelle landing the role of Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman of "Licorice Pizza" fame tackling sports television producer Dick Ebersol, and comedic genius Rachel Sennott ("Bottoms," "Shiva Baby," "Bodies Bodies Bodies") nabbing the role of "SNL" writer Rosie Shuster. Shortly thereafter, Deadline reported that the roles of "SNL" stars Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtin had been filled, with Ella Hunt, Emily Fairn, and Kim Matula playing the trio, respectively.
It's a fantastic mix of household names, relative unknowns, and stars on the rise, which feels apropos for a film about "Saturday Night Live." But today, The Hollywood Reporter announced the casting of four more juggernauts in the ensemble of The Not Ready for Prime Time Players, with Dylan O'Brien, Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, and Matt Wood taking on the roles of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, and John Belushi. We're still awaiting the casting of George Coe and Michael O'Donoghue (in addition to other writers, and key behind-the-scenes players), but this cast is shaping up to be pretty inspired.
Cory Michael Smith is Young Chevy Case, and You're Not
There have also been rumors that "The Americans" and "Perry Mason" star Matthew Rhys is going to play George Carlin, who hosted the debut episode of "SNL," but we're still awaiting confirmation as of publication.
Thanks to his run on "New Girl," Lamorne Morris has become one of the go-to faces for comedic reaction gifs on social media, which feels perfect for the hilarious facial acting of Garrett Morris. Meanwhile, Matt Wood is known for performing as the understudy/swing for Patrick and Mr. Krabs in "The SpongeBob Musical" on Broadway, which is absolutely perfect for Belushi. Since the majority of audiences have yet to see what he can do in front of a camera, there are no preconceived notions attached to him and he can really throw himself into the role. Dylan O'Brien as Aykroyd, on the other hand, might be a harder sell for those who associate him with his roles in "Teen Wolf" or "The Maze Runner," but he's proven to be an incredibly versatile actor, and I have high hopes he'll pull this off.
Still, it's the casting of "Gotham" and "Transatlantic" star Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase that has me the most excited. Chase has a notorious history of being a huge jerk on sets, yet an effortless confidence and charm that helped turn him into one of the most famous comedians to ever do it. After seeing Smith in "May December" as Georgie, there's no doubt in my mind that he's perfect for the job.
The real question now is who will be playing Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the rest of the Muppet troupe who showed up for the "Land of Gorch" sketch?