SNL 1975 finds its stars to play Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman in Jason Reitman-directed film

Ella Hunt, Emily Fairn, and Kim Matula will play Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtin in Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975 movie.

By Steve Seigh

January 26th 2024, 2:29pm

SNL 1975, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman

Live from New York, it’s Saturday night! Are you ready to go behind the scenes of the legendary sketch comedy series? Sony Pictures’ SNL 1975 is thrilled to present three actors for its forthcoming film, and the lineup is outstanding. Playing Gilda Radner for the Jason Reitman-directed feature is Ella Hunt (Anna and the Apocalypse, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Kat and the Band), with Emily Fairn (Black Mirror, The Responder) playing the SNL spitfire Laraine Newman, and Kim Matula (Fighting with My Family, Raptor Ranch, The Bold and the Beautiful) playing the unstoppable Jane Curtin.

In addition to his directorial duties, Reitman is co-writing the screenplay with Gil Kenan. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, SNL 1975 explores the evening of October 11, 1975, when “a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real-time to the infamous words, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Reitman and Kenan’s script takes inspiration from interviews they recorded with living members of the SNL cast, writers, and crew. Anyone who knows anything about Saturday Night Live knows how chaotic and unpredictable the show can be, including breaks in character, last-minute script changes, inexperienced guests, and technical snafus. Knowing that what do you think the show’s opening night was like?

Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Erica Mills, and Peter Rice are producing, with Hunt, Fairn, and Matula as the latest actors to join the project.

If you have not seen Ella Hunt in Anna and the Apocalypse, what are you even watching around the Christmas holiday? Anna and the Apocalypse is a hilarious and spirited zombie outbreak musical with unforgettable songs, laugh-out-loud comedy, and hard-to-swallow deaths. I can’t recommend it enough, and I hope you check it out. Kim Matula recently appeared in CBS‘s True Lies TV series, while Emily Fairn plays Polly Wright in the Sky original TV series Cobra.

Are you intrigued by Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975 movie? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author

Steve Seigh

8816 Articles Published

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.