SNLis celebrating its 50th anniversary in a big way, with the ensuring pop culture phenomenon releasingSaturday Nightin theaters at the same time as the show itself is seeing a boost in ratings. The movie, which depicts the behind-the-scenes commotion on the night of the first-ever episode, is directed byGhostbusters: Afterlife’s Jason Reitman and co-written with hisFrozen Empirepartner Gil Kenan. The script dabbles in both comedy and drama, as it dives into the personal and professional turmoil of a very important night in television history.
Saturday Nighttakes the formof a countdown to 11:30 PM on August 15, 2025, following a young and inexperienced Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) as he makes every possible attempt to have a smooth pilot episode — in spite of NBC executives and Johnny Carson rooting against him. His romantic life is undergoing a bit of chaos as well, given that his wife andSNLwriter Rosie Shuster (Bottoms' Rachel Sennott) has been getting close to cast member Dan Aykroyd (Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien). Other members of the ensemble include Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman (and Jim Henson), and Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris.
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Screen Rantinterviewed LaBelle, O’Brien, and Sennott about theirroles and relationships inSaturday Night. The trio broke down the romantic entanglements between their characters, revealed who their personalSNLicons are, and recounted O’Brien’s experience filming in tiny shorts for one of the pilot episode’s most infamous sketches.
Saturday Night Takes A Fascinating Look At A Real-Life SNL Love Triangle
“Obviously, the Challengers vibe going on right here.”
Screen Rant: Dylan, you’re stepping into such a known entity with Dan Aykroyd, and he is still among us. Do you have these moments of, “What is he thinking about this? How does he feel?”
Dylan O’Brien: I can’t wait to see what he thinks about this. [Laughs] Not really, to be honest, but maybe that’s just a survival tactic that my little body has just sort of done for me. I’ve lost all feelings since shooting the movie, and I think it’s because of the work that’s going on in here to protect this little vessel.
Screen Rant: Gabe, it’s so interesting to see the early days of Lorne, who we now know as the king of television. But in this movie, he’s insecure about even the dynamic with his wife. Can you talk about this love triangle?
Rachel Sennott: ThisChallengers vibe going on? Obviously, the Challengers vibe going on right here.
Gabriel LaBelle: I love the relationship Lorne and Rosie have together. I think they’ve just known each other since they were kids and grew up together. Lorne pretty much grew up in Rosie’s house, and they’re best friends [who] have been writing partners for years. I think it’s really fun to kind of tiptoe around that dynamic.
Rachel Sennott: I love drama! And I also just love - I’m sorry, obviously I love when two people are fighting over me. You’re not even really fighting. [Lorne’s] sort of given up, or you’re like, “Go off and do your thing.” But you’re secretly pining, obviously. And we can all tell [Dan] honestly doesn’t actually care that much. He’s all over the place. He’s doing the same bit to every girl on the show. I’m like, “Do something else!”
But it was fun because I think what was interesting about it is, doing this job in acting or show business or whatever, it’s a job where you work these hours and you have different relationships with people than you would maybe in a different job. Things like that can happen, and there’s tension that comes from that. But at the same time, the show has to happen and we’re all working on that, and these things are just happening underneath. So, adding that layer was really fun.
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“This is not a lie – you know how I lie, and this isn’t one.”
Screen Rant: When I think ofSNL, I’m always thinking of Lonely Island. What is the first thing that comes to mind for you guys?
Gabriel LaBelle:I love Lonely Island. After this movie, I think it’s the movie because I think it was such a personal experience for me. At least in this last year, SNL has been [about] just making this and getting to share that experience with you guys. But I’m sure after a couple of years, it’ll revert back to the show.
Dylan O’Brien: Kristen Wiig. [To interviewer] I sense recognition.
Rachel Sennott: We’re trading back and forth between taking Kristen Wiig. I think Kristen Wig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph… The gals. I think that was huge for me. [To Gabe] And now, obviously, you because of this movie.
Screen Rant: Dylan, you killed the dress rehearsal scene for the construction workers sequence. How awkward was that to perform?
Dylan O’Brien: It wasn’t really. I was cozy in the shorts and had a robe. I had a nice little robe too that I was kind of wearing, which was really soft. I think it was silk. Or pretend silk, but I liked it, being in the little jean shorts.
In fact, the camera team said that they were going to show up in all short jean shorts to celebrate my last day.They were like, “When’s your last day again?” I was like, “Thursday.” And they were like, “Okay, yeah, we’re going to do it.” This is not a lie – you know how I lie, and this isn’t one.
Then it was my last day, and I showed up on set. I was lowkey kind of like, “Yeah, I can’t wait to see the camera guys.” And I came in, and the team was just dressed normal. I was like, “Yo, what’s up?” And they were like, “Hey Dylan, what’s up? What’s up?” I was like, “It’s my last day.” And they’re like, “Oh, s–t. That was today!”
More About Saturday Night (2024)
At 11:30pm on August 24, 2025, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…
Check out otherSaturday Nightinterviews here:
Saturday Nightis currently playing in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York City before expanding to more cities on October 4, and then launching a nationwide release on October 11.
Saturday Night
Cast
Saturday Night (2024) is a forthcoming film with an undisclosed director. The movie centers on the vibrant nightlife of a bustling city, capturing the intertwining lives and stories of a diverse ensemble cast navigating personal and social challenges over the course of a single evening.
