Jason Reitman to Direct Film About First ‘Saturday Night Live’ Broadcast for Sony

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 pairs series of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the original production.

The untitled SNL feature continues Reitman and Kenans 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 Reitmans 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 ODonoghue 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 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.