Jason Reitman has set another feature at Sony Pictures, with the studio ordering a film based on the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live” in October 1975.
Reitman and his “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” co-writer Gil Kenan penned the original screenplay for the project, drawing from the pair’s series of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the original production.
The untitled “SNL” feature continues Reitman and Kenan’s partnership with Sony Pictures, where they are currently in production on a sequel to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” due to release in theaters this December. Kenan is directing the follow-up to Reitman’s 2021 entry of the sci-fi comedy series. The two collaborators signed an overall producing deal with Sony after the release of “Afterlife,” which grossed $204 million at the global box office against a $75 million production budget.
Reitman and Kenan will also produce the “SNL” feature, alongside regular partners Jason Blumenfeld and Erica Mills. All four are working on the upcoming “Ghostbusters” sequel.
The original Oct. 11, 1975 broadcast of “SNL” on NBC was hosted by George Carlin with musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue and Gilda Radner all featured on the episode, as well as George Coe, who would not appear as a cast member again. Comedian Andy Kaufman also performed his infamous “Mighty Mouse” theme lip-sync routine on the episode. Dick Ebersol developed the variety show and hired Lorne Michaels as showrunner, who remains head honcho on the long-running series.
Deadline was first to report news of the project.