Canadian writer-director Jason Reitman, son of the late Ivan, turned out to have a more-than-decent career as a filmmaker. He might not always hit it out of the park (ahem, “Men, Women and Children”), but he’s managed have a few strong films on his resume.
Reitman is reuniting with Sony on “SNL 1975” which wrapped production in late April. The film is set to tackle the behind-the-scenes chaos of the 1975 premiere of SNL. Reitman will direct and is also co-writing the script with Gil Kenan. The film takes place in “real time,” 90 minutes before the first show aired on October 11, 1975 as fearless young comedians and writers attempt to launch the skit-based show
I have a few updates. I had already reported yesterday that the film might be headed to the Telluride Film Festival. That’s been the rumor for over a week now. It’s also privately screened for press in NYC and LA. There have also been three test screenings in the past month and a half.
Suffice to say, it looks like they’re prepping for the film to be unveiled in 2024. I’m just wondering why Reitman isn’t headed to Toronto, his hometown, which has premiered most of his films, including the bad ones. Maybe a late addition will happen … the Reitman family have been very big donors to the fest, and it’d be out of the ordinary not to have the film screen there.
Regardless, I can also report that reactions to “SNL 1975” have been very strong. I’ve spoken to a few people already. Our resident test screener wrote this to me:
Fantastic. Big response from audience. Very Birdman/Lubezki esque in its execution with the long takes and seamless transitions. Also shot on gorgeous 16mm, incredibly gritty and reminiscent of the period. Gabriel LaBelle was best in show for me, but it’s also hard to fully pinpoint a bonafide standout within the ensemble because it’s all over the place with the way it’s constantly moving and bouncing around to different characters (not a bad thing though, I thought it kept things fresh and avoided lingering/losing momentum). Nicholas Braun is also a scene stealer as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, as is Cory Michael Smith, who plays Chevy Chase.
Gabriel LaBelle (“The Fabelmans”) is set to play Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”) is on board to play Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”) will play Rosie Shuster. This is a very intriguing cast, filled with youthful talent.
The original 1975 SNL cast included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner. Reitman is coming off the successful 2021 relaunch of his late father’s “Ghostbusters.” He passed over the directing baton for the sequel (‘Frozen Empire’) to writing partner Gil Kenan. Smart move.
Yes, Reitman caught the zeitgeist with 2007’s “Juno,” and peaked with 2009’s “Up in the Air,” but his filmography still has a few hidden gems. I’d recommend “Tully” and the unfairly maligned “The Front Runner.” A cult following has also built up for “Young Adult” and “Thank You For Smoking.” Not a bad director.