After the success of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” director Jason Reitman is reteaming with the Sony Pictures to tell the behind-the-scenes story for the premiere of one of the most iconic shows in TV history.
Sources tell Deadline that Reitman is set to direct an untitled original screenplay for Sony based on the real-life accounts of the opening night of “Saturday Night Live.” 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 film will be set on October 11, 1975, where a talented troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever.
This is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first SNL broadcast, retelling chaos and magic of a revolution of the special night, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night.
”
We’re just two years away from celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” a late-night sketch comedy show, which comments irreverently on topical and political issues, it’s become a cultural landmark of American comedy and has been the launching platform for a countless number of film and television stars over the decades.
Producing alongside Reitman and Kenan will be their longtime partners Jason Blumenfeld and Erica Mills, who are currently on the “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” sequel.
Besides “Ghostbusters: Afterlife“, Reitman is the director best known for his acclaimed work on “Thank You for Smoking,” “Juno,”Up in the Air” and “Young Adult.” As a producer, Reitman produced Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash,” Jean-Marc Vallee’s “Demolition“ and the cult hit Jennifer’s “Body“ from director Karyn Kusama.
Reitman and Kenan 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 sci-fi comedy series. The two collaborators signed an overall producing deal with Sony after the release of “Afterlife,” which grossed 4 million at the global box office against a million production budget.