The year was 1985 when Super Mario Bros. took the Nintendo Entertainment System by storm; Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes debuted in newspapers, and two unlikely friends named Marty McFly and Emmett Lathrop Brown piloted cinema’s most iconic time machine to a year when Panama hats and kitten heels were all the rage, 1955.
Fiercely protected at a level akin to Ghostbusters and Star Wars by millennials worldwide, Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future sits enthroned at Nostalgia Mountain’s top. The original film has spawned two sequels, a cartoon series, video game adaptations, a Broadway musical, and more. But how does it hold up by today’s standards? Strap on your seatbelt, and prepare yourselves to see some serious shit because this is Back to the Future Revisited.
In 1977, Robert Zemeckis did the unthinkable. He bulldozed into Amblin Entertainment without an appointment, heading straight for Steven Spielberg’s office.
Fiercely protected at a level akin to Ghostbusters and Star Wars by millennials worldwide, Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future sits enthroned at Nostalgia Mountain’s top. The original film has spawned two sequels, a cartoon series, video game adaptations, a Broadway musical, and more. But how does it hold up by today’s standards? Strap on your seatbelt, and prepare yourselves to see some serious shit because this is Back to the Future Revisited.
In 1977, Robert Zemeckis did the unthinkable. He bulldozed into Amblin Entertainment without an appointment, heading straight for Steven Spielberg’s office.
- 4/15/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Paul Walter Hauser will play comedian Chris Farley in a so-far untitled biopic. Here’s what we know at present:
A biopic based on the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by the late comedian’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colb is in the works.
With full endorsement from Farley’s family, Richard Jewell star Paul Walter Hauser will play him in the film. It will be the directorial debut of Frozen star Josh Gad, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber writing the screenplay according to Deadline. They previously adapted the surreal true story of Tommy Wiseau’s experience making cult film The Room into 2017 film The Disaster Artist.
A feature film examining the origins of Saturday Night Live is also in production. Jason Reitman is directIng SNL 1975 from a script he wrote with Gil Keenan. It will star Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels,...
A biopic based on the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by the late comedian’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colb is in the works.
With full endorsement from Farley’s family, Richard Jewell star Paul Walter Hauser will play him in the film. It will be the directorial debut of Frozen star Josh Gad, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber writing the screenplay according to Deadline. They previously adapted the surreal true story of Tommy Wiseau’s experience making cult film The Room into 2017 film The Disaster Artist.
A feature film examining the origins of Saturday Night Live is also in production. Jason Reitman is directIng SNL 1975 from a script he wrote with Gil Keenan. It will star Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Musician Naomi McPherson is joining the star-packed cast of SNL 1975, Jason Reitman’s forthcoming film about the debut night of the long-running NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live.
McPherson, who uses they/them pronouns, will make their acting debut as singer-songwriter Janis Ian, a musical guest on the first episode of SNL that aired Oct. 11, 1975. Reitman is directing the Sony Pictures project that focuses on the behind-the-scenes moments leading up to that initial broadcast. The cast includes Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as former NBC exec Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott as Michaels’ ex-wife and former SNL writer Rosie Shuster.
McPherson is a member of the Los Angeles-based band Muna and handles production duties for most of the group’s music. Muna has spent the past two years touring in support of the self-titled 2022 album that includes the single “Silk Chiffon” featuring Phoebe Bridgers. The band,...
McPherson, who uses they/them pronouns, will make their acting debut as singer-songwriter Janis Ian, a musical guest on the first episode of SNL that aired Oct. 11, 1975. Reitman is directing the Sony Pictures project that focuses on the behind-the-scenes moments leading up to that initial broadcast. The cast includes Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as former NBC exec Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott as Michaels’ ex-wife and former SNL writer Rosie Shuster.
McPherson is a member of the Los Angeles-based band Muna and handles production duties for most of the group’s music. Muna has spent the past two years touring in support of the self-titled 2022 album that includes the single “Silk Chiffon” featuring Phoebe Bridgers. The band,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Now here is a package coming together that is sure to set the town and market on fire. Deadline is hearing that a script based on The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts is being shopped with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the iconic late comic and actor.
Josh Gad will direct with Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, producing through his Broadway Video. The package will be sold as a pitch based on the book with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penning the script.
Based on the biography by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby — insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project — the film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley...
Josh Gad will direct with Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, producing through his Broadway Video. The package will be sold as a pitch based on the book with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penning the script.
Based on the biography by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby — insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project — the film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley...
- 4/12/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Joe Flaherty, the two-time Emmy-winning writer and Second City alumnus who sparkled as Guy Caballero, Count Floyd, Big Jim McBob and Sammy Maudlin as an original castmember on the landmark Canadian sketch comedy series Sctv, has died. He was 82.
His daughter, Gudrun Flaherty, told the Canadian Press he died Monday after a brief illness.
“Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s,” she said in a statement. “His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together — moments I will forever hold dear.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Flaherty also was known for his stint as A-1 Sporting Goods...
His daughter, Gudrun Flaherty, told the Canadian Press he died Monday after a brief illness.
“Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s,” she said in a statement. “His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together — moments I will forever hold dear.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Flaherty also was known for his stint as A-1 Sporting Goods...
- 4/2/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joe Flaherty, the actor, writer and comedian known for his roles on the Canadian sketch comedy series “Second City Television” and “Freaks and Geeks,” died on Monday. He was 82.
Flaherty’s daughter, Gudrun, confirmed the news to Variety in a statement through the Comedic Artists Alliance, which had previously raised funds for Flaherty to obtain a 24-hour care provider.
“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” Gudrun said. “Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of...
Flaherty’s daughter, Gudrun, confirmed the news to Variety in a statement through the Comedic Artists Alliance, which had previously raised funds for Flaherty to obtain a 24-hour care provider.
“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” Gudrun said. “Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of...
- 4/2/2024
- by Jaden Thompson and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan conducted an extensive series of interviews with the living cast, writers and crew of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live, which aired on October 11, 1975 on NBC and has been going ever since. The result of their efforts is Sony Pictures’ upcoming SNL 1975, a movie retelling the story of that night.
The pic, which Reitman and Kenan co-wrote and which Reitman is directing, tells the chaotic behind-the-scenes story of what happened that first night, just before the live cameras clicked on to launch a late-night institution and a slew of eventual stars among the young, mostly unknown troupe of comedians including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner, all under the watchful eye of creator Lorne Michaels.
Related: Who’s In The Season 49 Cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’
Some of the fun with SNL 1975 is following as the cast assembles to...
The pic, which Reitman and Kenan co-wrote and which Reitman is directing, tells the chaotic behind-the-scenes story of what happened that first night, just before the live cameras clicked on to launch a late-night institution and a slew of eventual stars among the young, mostly unknown troupe of comedians including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner, all under the watchful eye of creator Lorne Michaels.
Related: Who’s In The Season 49 Cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’
Some of the fun with SNL 1975 is following as the cast assembles to...
- 3/29/2024
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The currently in production film about Saturday Night Live’s first broadcast, SNL 1975, has cast Jon Batiste in the on-screen role of Billy Preston, the sketch show’s first-ever musical guest.
The Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning Batiste will also compose the score for the film, which is being directed by Jason Reitman.
Others cast in the Sony Pictures film include Gabriel Labelle as Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as NBC late-night executive Dick Ebersol, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, Emily Fairne as Laraine Newman, Nicholas Podano as Billy Crystal, Taylor Gray as Al Franken, Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page, and J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle.
Batiste’s participation in SNL 1975 represents a late-night return of sorts for Batiste, who lead the in-house band for CBS...
The Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning Batiste will also compose the score for the film, which is being directed by Jason Reitman.
Others cast in the Sony Pictures film include Gabriel Labelle as Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as NBC late-night executive Dick Ebersol, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, Emily Fairne as Laraine Newman, Nicholas Podano as Billy Crystal, Taylor Gray as Al Franken, Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page, and J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle.
Batiste’s participation in SNL 1975 represents a late-night return of sorts for Batiste, who lead the in-house band for CBS...
- 3/29/2024
- by A.J. Katz
- LateNighter
Jon Batiste is tackling dual responsibilities with Jason Reitman’s forthcoming feature that will focus on the opening night for NBC’s long-running sketch series Saturday Night Live.
Batiste will compose the score for the Sony Pictures film SNL 1975, and he will also appear in the movie as keyboardist and singer Billy Preston, who was the show’s first musical guest when it debuted Oct. 11, 1975. Centering on the behind-the-scenes moments leading up to that initial broadcast, Reitman’s film stars Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as former NBC exec Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott as Michaels’ ex-wife and former SNL writer Rosie Shuster.
Reitman and Gil Kenan wrote the screenplay based on their interviews with living cast, scribes and crew about the launch of the show that is currently airing its 49th season. Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld and Peter Rice serve as producers on SNL 1975...
Batiste will compose the score for the Sony Pictures film SNL 1975, and he will also appear in the movie as keyboardist and singer Billy Preston, who was the show’s first musical guest when it debuted Oct. 11, 1975. Centering on the behind-the-scenes moments leading up to that initial broadcast, Reitman’s film stars Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as former NBC exec Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott as Michaels’ ex-wife and former SNL writer Rosie Shuster.
Reitman and Gil Kenan wrote the screenplay based on their interviews with living cast, scribes and crew about the launch of the show that is currently airing its 49th season. Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld and Peter Rice serve as producers on SNL 1975...
- 3/28/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been nearly 70 years since Godzilla first step foot on the silver screen with Ishiro Honda’s 1954 opus, Gojira. What started as an allegory about the horrors of the atomic bomb and war has since been reimagined myriad times to cover everything from the awesome forces of nature to geopolitical alliances, the absurdities of consumerism to mankind’s inability to curb pollution. Whether Godzilla is a tragic monster, a defender of earth, or children’s role model, there’s no denying the appeal the Big G has to audiences.
After all, it’s damn entertaining to watch a giant monster stomping around the streets of a metropolis and leaving a path of destruction. Sure, American movies like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms primed American audiences for features of this magnitude. But really, it was Godzilla and the evolution of the IP’s unique genre of films — kaiju...
After all, it’s damn entertaining to watch a giant monster stomping around the streets of a metropolis and leaving a path of destruction. Sure, American movies like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms primed American audiences for features of this magnitude. But really, it was Godzilla and the evolution of the IP’s unique genre of films — kaiju...
- 3/28/2024
- by Kyle Cubr
- bloody-disgusting.com
J.K. Simmons has joined the cast of Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975, and not only will the Oscar winner be playing Hollywood legend Milton Berle, but he’ll have the notable distinction of becoming the first actual SNL host to join the cast of the Sony movie.
Simmons hosted the Jan. 31, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured D’Angelo as the musical guest. At the time, Simmons was riding high off an Oscar nomination for Whiplash, and he would go on to win the Academy Award following his SNL hosting stint.
Meanwhile, Berle hosted SNL on April 14, 1979, and Ornette Coleman was his musical guest. It’s unclear where Berle fits into Reitman’s movie at this moment in time.
SNL 1975 is a behind-the-scenes account of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film will reportedly unfold in real-time.
On the heels of playing Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans,...
Simmons hosted the Jan. 31, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured D’Angelo as the musical guest. At the time, Simmons was riding high off an Oscar nomination for Whiplash, and he would go on to win the Academy Award following his SNL hosting stint.
Meanwhile, Berle hosted SNL on April 14, 1979, and Ornette Coleman was his musical guest. It’s unclear where Berle fits into Reitman’s movie at this moment in time.
SNL 1975 is a behind-the-scenes account of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film will reportedly unfold in real-time.
On the heels of playing Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Jeff Sneider
- LateNighter
In Hollywood, casting decisions can make or break a movie. Sometimes, the biggest roles almost end up in different hands, which changes the story. Take Ghostbusters, for example, the classic film with the guys chasing ghosts. Well, imagine if Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were carrying those proton packs! Alongside them, crazy, right?
A still from Ghostbusters (1984)
We all know the Ghostbusters crew, isn’t that so? However, they might have looked totally different. Back in ’84, Ivan Reitman dropped this flick about a ghost-catching scientist in New York City, and it blew up. Fans and critics couldn’t get enough of it. Then, in 1989, a sequel was released, but it did not quite hit the same high notes.
Attempts to make a third Ghostbusters film persevered for quite a while, yet hit a roadblock with Harold Ramis’ passing in 2014. Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot of the franchise featured an all-female team with nods to the originals.
A still from Ghostbusters (1984)
We all know the Ghostbusters crew, isn’t that so? However, they might have looked totally different. Back in ’84, Ivan Reitman dropped this flick about a ghost-catching scientist in New York City, and it blew up. Fans and critics couldn’t get enough of it. Then, in 1989, a sequel was released, but it did not quite hit the same high notes.
Attempts to make a third Ghostbusters film persevered for quite a while, yet hit a roadblock with Harold Ramis’ passing in 2014. Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot of the franchise featured an all-female team with nods to the originals.
- 3/24/2024
- by Muskan Chaudhary
- FandomWire
The summer of ’84 was golden. The Summer Olympics and the Olympics Arts Festival transformed host city Los Angeles into an athletic and artistic mecca. Bruce Springsteen was burning up arenas with his “Born in the USA” tour. Geraldine Ferraro made history when she was named Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale’s running mate making her the first woman to be part of a major party’s national ticket.
And the quirky horror comedy “Ghostbusters” was scaring up big bucks at the box office. Taking in in nearly $300 million, it was the No. 1 film of the year. Directed by the late Ivan Reitman “Ghostbusters” starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts and revolved around a group of parapsychologists who open a ghost removal service in New York City. Ray Parker’s catchy theme song hit No. 1 and was nominated for an Oscar...
And the quirky horror comedy “Ghostbusters” was scaring up big bucks at the box office. Taking in in nearly $300 million, it was the No. 1 film of the year. Directed by the late Ivan Reitman “Ghostbusters” starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts and revolved around a group of parapsychologists who open a ghost removal service in New York City. Ray Parker’s catchy theme song hit No. 1 and was nominated for an Oscar...
- 3/22/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
One day in 1979, the phone rang at producer Bob Weiss’ house. “Be on your property tonight,” said the voice on the other line. According to the book Wild and Crazy Guys: The Comedy Mavericks of the ’80s Changed Hollywood Forever by Nick de Semlyen, later that evening, an object came flying over the fence and onto Weiss’ backyard. It was the script for a Blues Brothers movie that Wiess commissioned from Dan Aykroyd, who created the musical comedy act with John Belushi for Saturday Night Live.
If the way that Aykroyd delivered the manuscript was odd, the contents inside were even weirder. Titled The Return of the Blues Brothers and credited to the “Scriptatron Gl-9000,” the script was 324 pages long, far more than the 120 page standard, and filled with unlikely digressions.
Weiss shouldn’t have been surprised. Even if the 26-year-old Aykroyd had written a script before (he hadn’t...
If the way that Aykroyd delivered the manuscript was odd, the contents inside were even weirder. Titled The Return of the Blues Brothers and credited to the “Scriptatron Gl-9000,” the script was 324 pages long, far more than the 120 page standard, and filled with unlikely digressions.
Weiss shouldn’t have been surprised. Even if the 26-year-old Aykroyd had written a script before (he hadn’t...
- 3/22/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Ghostbusters movies stretch credulity, but this is ridiculous.
At the start of Ghostbusters II, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) perform for bored kids at a birthday party. It’s only been five years since they blew up the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in downtown New York and destroyed Gozer’s portal atop a city high rise. And yet, no one remembers the work the boys did to save the city.
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Ghostbusters are completely unknown to Gen Z, even to the grandchildren of Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), even to a kid so into podcasts that he calls himself Podcast. It’s only been 30 years since the team drove the Statue of Liberty down the center of the city.
Even in this age of fake news and disinformation, the public’s willingness to forget about the events of each previous Ghostbusters movie is a strange...
At the start of Ghostbusters II, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) perform for bored kids at a birthday party. It’s only been five years since they blew up the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in downtown New York and destroyed Gozer’s portal atop a city high rise. And yet, no one remembers the work the boys did to save the city.
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Ghostbusters are completely unknown to Gen Z, even to the grandchildren of Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), even to a kid so into podcasts that he calls himself Podcast. It’s only been 30 years since the team drove the Statue of Liberty down the center of the city.
Even in this age of fake news and disinformation, the public’s willingness to forget about the events of each previous Ghostbusters movie is a strange...
- 3/19/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Who ya gonna call? Well, if you’re one of the next generation of Ghostbusters, you can probably ring up one of the Og crew, as it turns out they’ve been more than receptive to the younger cast of Frozen Empire. Finn Wolfhard and Dan Aykroyd living together? Mass hysteria!
As Wolfhard told The Hollywood Reporter in promotion for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (and some TV show called Stranger Things – the dude is busy!), the original cast has been welcoming to the new blood, saying, “We spent so many days together on set, and we hung out a few times outside of set as well. Dan [Aykroyd], Annie [Potts] and everyone are such open books, and you can ask them anything about their lives and their industry stories. You can ask Dan about SNL in 1975, and he just remembers it all off the top of his head. So it’s really surreal...
As Wolfhard told The Hollywood Reporter in promotion for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (and some TV show called Stranger Things – the dude is busy!), the original cast has been welcoming to the new blood, saying, “We spent so many days together on set, and we hung out a few times outside of set as well. Dan [Aykroyd], Annie [Potts] and everyone are such open books, and you can ask them anything about their lives and their industry stories. You can ask Dan about SNL in 1975, and he just remembers it all off the top of his head. So it’s really surreal...
- 3/16/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Released in 1984, Ivan Reitman’s supernatural comedy film Ghostbusters has become a cultural phenomenon, with its memorable story and iconic characters portrayed by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson.
And the original cast of the film is set to return in the upcoming film in the franchise, Frozen Empire. Fans are highly eager to see the original cast of the film returning to the screen alongside the new cast, as it certainly seems impossible to imagine anyone else in the ghost-busting ensemble.
Ghostbusters
However, the casting process could have taken a different direction as the filmmakers had other names in mind as well, even for Murray’s iconic character Peter Venkman. Dan Aykroyd wrote the character for the late actor-comedian John Belushi.
Suggested‘Ghostbusters’ Actor Ernie Hudson Reveals the 1 Thing That Makes the Bill Murray Franchise Relevant Even After 40 Years
However, the actor sadly passed...
And the original cast of the film is set to return in the upcoming film in the franchise, Frozen Empire. Fans are highly eager to see the original cast of the film returning to the screen alongside the new cast, as it certainly seems impossible to imagine anyone else in the ghost-busting ensemble.
Ghostbusters
However, the casting process could have taken a different direction as the filmmakers had other names in mind as well, even for Murray’s iconic character Peter Venkman. Dan Aykroyd wrote the character for the late actor-comedian John Belushi.
Suggested‘Ghostbusters’ Actor Ernie Hudson Reveals the 1 Thing That Makes the Bill Murray Franchise Relevant Even After 40 Years
However, the actor sadly passed...
- 3/16/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Talk about loyalty.
Betty Buckley has been staying at the Chateau Marmont for about 50 years. She first checked in when she was filming her big screen debut as gym teacher Miss Collins in “Carrie” and then when she landed the role of Abby Bradford, Dick Van Patten’s new wife and stepmother to his kids in ABC’s 1970s family comedy-drama “Eight Is Enough.”
After half a century calling the Chateau her Los Angeles home — she lives full-time at a ranch outside of Fort Worth, Texas — Buckley has a lot of stories.
“Oh, there are some wild ones,” the 76-year-old actor and singer says while nibbling on a fruit and cheese plate in the hotel’s lobby restaurant on a recent weekday afternoon. She’s in town promoting her new horror movie, “Imaginary.”
Buckley quickly recalls becoming friends with John Belushi, first in New York City and then when he...
Betty Buckley has been staying at the Chateau Marmont for about 50 years. She first checked in when she was filming her big screen debut as gym teacher Miss Collins in “Carrie” and then when she landed the role of Abby Bradford, Dick Van Patten’s new wife and stepmother to his kids in ABC’s 1970s family comedy-drama “Eight Is Enough.”
After half a century calling the Chateau her Los Angeles home — she lives full-time at a ranch outside of Fort Worth, Texas — Buckley has a lot of stories.
“Oh, there are some wild ones,” the 76-year-old actor and singer says while nibbling on a fruit and cheese plate in the hotel’s lobby restaurant on a recent weekday afternoon. She’s in town promoting her new horror movie, “Imaginary.”
Buckley quickly recalls becoming friends with John Belushi, first in New York City and then when he...
- 3/9/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The 2007 John C. Reilly comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story has become a cult hit in recent years, largely as a result of the skill with which it dissects and eviscerates the genre it satirizes.
The film so deftly laid bare the tropes and cliches of the rock star biopic that many predicted it would forever change the way filmmakers approached stories about dead celebs.
And for a while, it seemed like the trick had worked.
Leaving aside for a moment any discussion about the quality of these films, there's no denying that Elvis, Blonde, Maestro, Jackie, Priscilla, and Oppenheimer all offered new takes on a very familiar subgenre.
(That last one, admittedly, is a bit of an outlier, as we're not sure if a theoretical physicist -- even one who altered the course of world history -- can properly be called a celebrity.)
But in recent years, the...
The film so deftly laid bare the tropes and cliches of the rock star biopic that many predicted it would forever change the way filmmakers approached stories about dead celebs.
And for a while, it seemed like the trick had worked.
Leaving aside for a moment any discussion about the quality of these films, there's no denying that Elvis, Blonde, Maestro, Jackie, Priscilla, and Oppenheimer all offered new takes on a very familiar subgenre.
(That last one, admittedly, is a bit of an outlier, as we're not sure if a theoretical physicist -- even one who altered the course of world history -- can properly be called a celebrity.)
But in recent years, the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
Nicholas Braun has been cast as Jim Henson in SNL 1975, the Sony Pictures project set to tell the story of the earliest days of Saturday Night Live.
Henson’s Muppets were a regular part of SNL’s first season, appearing in a total of 13 episodes.
Braun joins a cast that includes Gabriel Labelle, who is portraying SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as well as Rachel Sennott (as Rosie Shuster), Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Cooper Hoffman (as Dick Ebersol), Ella Hunt (as Gilda Radner), Kim Matula (as Jane Curtin), Cory Michael Smith (as Chevy Chase), and Matt Wood (as John Belushi).
Deadline has also confirmed that stage actor Nicholas Podany is set to portray Billy Crystal, while head writer Michael O’Donoghue will be played by Tommy Dewey.
SNL 1975 will be directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the project with Gil Kenan and reportedly interviewed all living cast members and...
Henson’s Muppets were a regular part of SNL’s first season, appearing in a total of 13 episodes.
Braun joins a cast that includes Gabriel Labelle, who is portraying SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as well as Rachel Sennott (as Rosie Shuster), Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Cooper Hoffman (as Dick Ebersol), Ella Hunt (as Gilda Radner), Kim Matula (as Jane Curtin), Cory Michael Smith (as Chevy Chase), and Matt Wood (as John Belushi).
Deadline has also confirmed that stage actor Nicholas Podany is set to portray Billy Crystal, while head writer Michael O’Donoghue will be played by Tommy Dewey.
SNL 1975 will be directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the project with Gil Kenan and reportedly interviewed all living cast members and...
- 3/7/2024
- by Mary Siroky
- Consequence - Film News
Steve Lawrence, the charismatic Grammy- and Emmy-winning crooner who delighted audiences for decades in nightclubs, on concert stages and in film and television appearances, died Thursday. He was 88.
Lawrence, who partnered in a popular act with his wife of 55 years, the late Eydie Gormé, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, a publicidst announced.
With his boyish good looks, silky voice and breezy personality, Lawrence broke into show business when he won a talent competition on Arthur Godfrey’s CBS show and signed with King Records as a teenager. The singer chose to stay old school and resist the allure of rock ‘n’ roll.
“It didn’t attract me as much,” Lawrence once said. “I grew up in a time period when music was written by Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and Sammy Cahn and Julie Stein.
Lawrence, who partnered in a popular act with his wife of 55 years, the late Eydie Gormé, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, a publicidst announced.
With his boyish good looks, silky voice and breezy personality, Lawrence broke into show business when he won a talent competition on Arthur Godfrey’s CBS show and signed with King Records as a teenager. The singer chose to stay old school and resist the allure of rock ‘n’ roll.
“It didn’t attract me as much,” Lawrence once said. “I grew up in a time period when music was written by Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and Sammy Cahn and Julie Stein.
- 3/7/2024
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix comedy movies in March 2024 cover every subgenre in the category. Whether you’re looking to stream slapstick, a rom-com, or something with a side of horror, Netflix’s March additions have something for you.
While any time is a good time to watch a comedy, springtime and laughs can go hand-in-hand. With warmer weather (and summer blockbusters) around the corner, spend your March with Netflix’s best comedy movies.
‘Beverly Hills Ninja’ Coming to Netflix March 1
Celebrate comedy legend Chris Farley by streaming Beverly Hills Ninja on Netflix beginning March 1. The 1997 martial arts comedy marks the final film released during Farley’s lifetime, as the actor died less than a year after its release.
Farley stars as Haru, adopted as a child by a clan of ninjas who believe he’ll become the master promised in legends. As expected, Haru never entirely becomes a ninja despite his best efforts.
While any time is a good time to watch a comedy, springtime and laughs can go hand-in-hand. With warmer weather (and summer blockbusters) around the corner, spend your March with Netflix’s best comedy movies.
‘Beverly Hills Ninja’ Coming to Netflix March 1
Celebrate comedy legend Chris Farley by streaming Beverly Hills Ninja on Netflix beginning March 1. The 1997 martial arts comedy marks the final film released during Farley’s lifetime, as the actor died less than a year after its release.
Farley stars as Haru, adopted as a child by a clan of ninjas who believe he’ll become the master promised in legends. As expected, Haru never entirely becomes a ninja despite his best efforts.
- 3/1/2024
- by Matt Moore
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Vinegar Syndrome just put a Massive lineup of new releases up for grabs this afternoon, making one thing crystal clear: in the horror world, physical media is alive & well in 2024!
First up, Vinegar Syndrome’s March 2024 lineup includes the 4K Uhd debut of the landmark horror anthology and Amicus classic, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors from 1965.
The March package also includes Specters (1987), Singapore Sling (1990), Story of a Junkie (1985), and Goin’ South (1978), while Nightbeast (1982) gets a VHS release.
Vinegar Syndrome further details, “We’re getting in the Halloween spirit 7 months early with the 4K Uhd debut of director Freddie Francis’ landmark horror anthology and Amicus classic, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), newly and exclusively restored by Vs from its 35mm camera negative and overflowing with an array of archival interviews and other exciting extras. Moving two decades on, we’ve paired a duo of devilish supernatural horrors from director Marcello Avallone...
First up, Vinegar Syndrome’s March 2024 lineup includes the 4K Uhd debut of the landmark horror anthology and Amicus classic, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors from 1965.
The March package also includes Specters (1987), Singapore Sling (1990), Story of a Junkie (1985), and Goin’ South (1978), while Nightbeast (1982) gets a VHS release.
Vinegar Syndrome further details, “We’re getting in the Halloween spirit 7 months early with the 4K Uhd debut of director Freddie Francis’ landmark horror anthology and Amicus classic, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), newly and exclusively restored by Vs from its 35mm camera negative and overflowing with an array of archival interviews and other exciting extras. Moving two decades on, we’ve paired a duo of devilish supernatural horrors from director Marcello Avallone...
- 3/1/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Tony Ganios, the actor who made his film debut in Philip Kaufman’s 1979 coming-of-age comedy-drama The Wanderers and played audience favorite Anthony ‘Meat’ Tuperello in the 1980s Porky’s sex comedy franchise, died Sunday following surgery at a hospital in New York. He was 64.
His death was announced on social media by his fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, who said that the actor fell ill last week, was hospitalized Saturday with a spinal cord infection, and passed away Sunday of heart failure.
Cast as one of the Bronx Italian-American street toughs in the 1963-set The Wanderers, based on the novel by Richard Price, Ganios became, for much of the ’80s, a go-to actor for directors looking for a touch of East Coast flavor. Ganios re-teamed with his Wanderers co-star Ken Wahl for a recurring role as a mob lawyer on Wahl’s 1987-90 crime series Wiseguy.
John Friedrich, Ken Wahl, Tony Ganios,...
His death was announced on social media by his fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, who said that the actor fell ill last week, was hospitalized Saturday with a spinal cord infection, and passed away Sunday of heart failure.
Cast as one of the Bronx Italian-American street toughs in the 1963-set The Wanderers, based on the novel by Richard Price, Ganios became, for much of the ’80s, a go-to actor for directors looking for a touch of East Coast flavor. Ganios re-teamed with his Wanderers co-star Ken Wahl for a recurring role as a mob lawyer on Wahl’s 1987-90 crime series Wiseguy.
John Friedrich, Ken Wahl, Tony Ganios,...
- 2/20/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Bill Murray is a son of Chicagoland, born and raised in the area and beginning his career at The Second City. To honor his friend and collaborator Harold Ramis, Murray made an appearance on February 2nd, 2024, on Chicago’s Navy Pier on behalf of Harold Ramis Day and of course his classic film “Groundhog Day.”
Bill Murray Back in his Home Land
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
William James “Bill” Murray was born in Chicago-adjacent Evanston and grew up in nearby Wilmette. After an attempt at college, he followed his brother Brian Doyle Murray to The Second City and found his performance niche. He moved to New York City when fellow Second City vet John Belushi recruited him for “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” After missing out on the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975, he did a stint on Howard Cosell’s...
Bill Murray Back in his Home Land
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
William James “Bill” Murray was born in Chicago-adjacent Evanston and grew up in nearby Wilmette. After an attempt at college, he followed his brother Brian Doyle Murray to The Second City and found his performance niche. He moved to New York City when fellow Second City vet John Belushi recruited him for “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” After missing out on the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975, he did a stint on Howard Cosell’s...
- 2/12/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Watch this exclusive clip from The Tiger’s Apprentice, a heartwarming, fun, and beautifully animated film that the whole family can enjoy for the Lunar New Year.
“Based on the popular children’s book series of the same name by Laurence Yep, The Tiger’s Apprentice follows Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee (Soo Hoo), whose life changes forever when he discovers he is part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians… In this clip, Henry Golding’s mythical tiger character meets Tom for the first time.”
Watch the trailer
Lego is celebrating 25 years of Star Wars sets in style, including a very highly-anticipated Knights of the Old Republic mini-figure.
“Today Lego confirmed the first details for a wave of special 25th anniversary Star Wars sets, due to begin releasing in March, drawing from across the Star Wars saga… Several of the kits will also include a bonus minifigure, highlighting...
“Based on the popular children’s book series of the same name by Laurence Yep, The Tiger’s Apprentice follows Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee (Soo Hoo), whose life changes forever when he discovers he is part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians… In this clip, Henry Golding’s mythical tiger character meets Tom for the first time.”
Watch the trailer
Lego is celebrating 25 years of Star Wars sets in style, including a very highly-anticipated Knights of the Old Republic mini-figure.
“Today Lego confirmed the first details for a wave of special 25th anniversary Star Wars sets, due to begin releasing in March, drawing from across the Star Wars saga… Several of the kits will also include a bonus minifigure, highlighting...
- 1/31/2024
- by Michael Ahr
- Den of Geek
Jason Reitman is staying mighty busy these days. Less than 24 hours after the release of the latest trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," four major casting announcements were made for his next project, "SNL 1975." The film will attempt to tell the true story of what went on behind the scenes before the broadcast premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on NBC, highlighting the real-time bedlam with some of the most legendary names in American comedy. Reitman co-wrote the script with his "Ghostbusters" collaborator Gil Kenan and is basing the story on the firsthand accounts of those who were there. Lest we forget, Reitman's father is the legendary Ivan Reitman, so these comedy titans were the friends and colleagues of the family. If anyone can get serious insight, it's Reitman.
The first wave of cast announcements included some serious heavy hitters, with "The Fabelmans" star Gabriel Labelle landing the role of Lorne Michaels,...
The first wave of cast announcements included some serious heavy hitters, with "The Fabelmans" star Gabriel Labelle landing the role of Lorne Michaels,...
- 1/30/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
While they've been focused on their Ghostbusters films of late, with the newest, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire less than two months away now, Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan have also been putting the pieces together for something that draws on no little amount of nostalgia (not to mention a connection to Dan Aykroyd): SNL 1975, about the fraught first night of Saturday Night Live. The duo (with Reitman directing and Kenan writing) have built the cast and are now adding Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith and Matt Wood to the line-up.
Here's the official synopsis: "On October 11, 1975, 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,...
Here's the official synopsis: "On October 11, 1975, 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,...
- 1/30/2024
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
Live, from New York, it’s… filmmaker Jason Reitman’s new feature about the launch of “Saturday Night Live.”
Co-written by Reitman and his frequent collaborator Gil Kenan and directed by Reitman, “SNL 1975” will dramatize the events of October 11, 1975, when the venerable sketch comedy series debuted on television. According to Deadline, which has broken numerous stories about the forthcoming film, “SNL 1975” tells “the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s ‘SNL.’ It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real-time to the [famous] words, ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’”
Reitman and Kenan based their screenplay on an “extensive series of interviews conducted by Reitman and Kenan with all the living cast members, writers, and crew.” The project will start production soon,...
Co-written by Reitman and his frequent collaborator Gil Kenan and directed by Reitman, “SNL 1975” will dramatize the events of October 11, 1975, when the venerable sketch comedy series debuted on television. According to Deadline, which has broken numerous stories about the forthcoming film, “SNL 1975” tells “the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s ‘SNL.’ It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real-time to the [famous] words, ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’”
Reitman and Kenan based their screenplay on an “extensive series of interviews conducted by Reitman and Kenan with all the living cast members, writers, and crew.” The project will start production soon,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Hold onto your sides and prepare yourself for stitches because the SNL 1975 cast is ready to welcome four new players to the stage. Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Micheal Smith, and Matt Wood will play Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and John Belushi, respectively. They join previously announced cast members Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin.
Jason Reitman will direct SNL 1975 and co-write the screenplay with Gil Keenan. 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,...
Jason Reitman will direct SNL 1975 and co-write the screenplay with Gil Keenan. 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,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Live from New York, it’s… Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975.
The film, which was written by Reitman (who also will direct) and Gil Kenan based on first-hand accounts of the first-ever Saturday Night Live taping, has enlisted Gabriel Labelle to play SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, our sister site Deadline reports.
More from TVLineSNL Video: Dakota Johnson Destroys Please Don't DestroySNL: A Family's Home Videos Binge Takes a Maury Povich-y TurnArrow's Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell Reunite... for an Old West Shoot-'Em-Up? Watch Movie Trailer
Best known for starring in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans, Labelle also has...
The film, which was written by Reitman (who also will direct) and Gil Kenan based on first-hand accounts of the first-ever Saturday Night Live taping, has enlisted Gabriel Labelle to play SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, our sister site Deadline reports.
More from TVLineSNL Video: Dakota Johnson Destroys Please Don't DestroySNL: A Family's Home Videos Binge Takes a Maury Povich-y TurnArrow's Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell Reunite... for an Old West Shoot-'Em-Up? Watch Movie Trailer
Best known for starring in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans, Labelle also has...
- 1/30/2024
- by Andy Swift and Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Lamorne Morris and Dylan O’Brien are among those who are set to play original Saturday Night Live castmembers in Jason Reitman’s feature SNL 1975, about the debut night for the venerable comedy series.
Morris is set to portray Garrett Morris, while O’Brien has landed the role of Dan Aykroyd. Additionally, Cory Michael Smith will play Chevy Chase in the film, while Matt Wood is joining the cast as John Belushi.
Reitman is directing the film for Sony Pictures from a script he co-wrote with Gil Kenan. Based on the screenwriters’ interviews with the show’s living cast, scribes and crew, the film is set to focus on the formative moment in October 1975 for the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season.
The movie’s previously announced castmembers include Gabriel Labelle (The Fabelmans) as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) as former NBC executive Dick Ebersol,...
Morris is set to portray Garrett Morris, while O’Brien has landed the role of Dan Aykroyd. Additionally, Cory Michael Smith will play Chevy Chase in the film, while Matt Wood is joining the cast as John Belushi.
Reitman is directing the film for Sony Pictures from a script he co-wrote with Gil Kenan. Based on the screenwriters’ interviews with the show’s living cast, scribes and crew, the film is set to focus on the formative moment in October 1975 for the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season.
The movie’s previously announced castmembers include Gabriel Labelle (The Fabelmans) as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) as former NBC executive Dick Ebersol,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The late night sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" is still going strong. The series is currently in the middle of its 49th season, and word on the street is that there's quite the celebration around the corner for the show's 50th anniversary, which will come around this fall. There have been rumblings that series creator and longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels may step down from his post at "SNL" when the 50th season is over, but there hasn't been any confirmation just yet, even though Tina Fey seems to be primed to take the gig if that happens. However, there's another big "SNL" event coming soon too, in the form of a movie about the show's premiere on October 11, 1975.
Last spring, Sony Pictures set director Jason Reitman to direct "SNL 1975," a movie that will chronicle the real-time, behind-the-scenes chaos and miraculous magic leading right up to the show's debut on NBC.
Last spring, Sony Pictures set director Jason Reitman to direct "SNL 1975," a movie that will chronicle the real-time, behind-the-scenes chaos and miraculous magic leading right up to the show's debut on NBC.
- 1/19/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Gabriel Labelle, Cooper Hoffman and Rachel Sennott have been cast in Jason Reitman’s feature SNL 1975 about the early days of Saturday Night Live.
Reitman is directing the film for Sony Pictures about the debut night in October 1975 of the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season. Labelle, who had a breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans, is set to play SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) is attached as former NBC executive Dick Ebersol, while Sennott (Bottoms) will play Michaels’ ex-wife Rosie Shuster.
Reitman wrote the script with Gil Kenan, based on the pair’s extensive interviews with all of the show’s living cast, scribes and crew. Reitman and Kenan previously co-wrote Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its forthcoming sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which hits theaters in March.
SNL 1975 counts Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Erica Mills and Peter Rice as producers.
Reitman is directing the film for Sony Pictures about the debut night in October 1975 of the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season. Labelle, who had a breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans, is set to play SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) is attached as former NBC executive Dick Ebersol, while Sennott (Bottoms) will play Michaels’ ex-wife Rosie Shuster.
Reitman wrote the script with Gil Kenan, based on the pair’s extensive interviews with all of the show’s living cast, scribes and crew. Reitman and Kenan previously co-wrote Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its forthcoming sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which hits theaters in March.
SNL 1975 counts Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Erica Mills and Peter Rice as producers.
- 1/19/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night Live origin pic is gaining a ton of momentum as Gabriel Labelle is set to play Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman is on board to play Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott will play Rosie Shuster. Reitman will write and direct.
SNL 1975 is based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the NBC late-night show’s opening night. Reitman and Gil Kenan wrote the script.
On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of SNL. 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!” The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted...
SNL 1975 is based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the NBC late-night show’s opening night. Reitman and Gil Kenan wrote the script.
On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of SNL. 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!” The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted...
- 1/19/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
If anyone should be able to engineer a reunion of “Saturday Night Live” alumni, it should be Dan Aykroyd.
A member of the show’s first cast of “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players,” Aykroyd was also among the first to jump from “SNL” to Hollywood and continues to tour with a band based on The Blues Brothers group he and John Belushi originated on the NBC mainstay.
But Aykroyd’s new project takes “SNL” formers to decidedly new terrain.
Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon and “Cheers” alumni George Wendt (who made a name on “SNL” as the character Bob Swerski of the Chicago Superfans), have teamed up to lead subscribers of the streaming outlet Fox Nation through a history of drinking. In “A History of the World in Six Glasses,”which debuted this week, the comic sextuplet examines some of the political and cultural ramifications in the rise of beer,...
A member of the show’s first cast of “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players,” Aykroyd was also among the first to jump from “SNL” to Hollywood and continues to tour with a band based on The Blues Brothers group he and John Belushi originated on the NBC mainstay.
But Aykroyd’s new project takes “SNL” formers to decidedly new terrain.
Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon and “Cheers” alumni George Wendt (who made a name on “SNL” as the character Bob Swerski of the Chicago Superfans), have teamed up to lead subscribers of the streaming outlet Fox Nation through a history of drinking. In “A History of the World in Six Glasses,”which debuted this week, the comic sextuplet examines some of the political and cultural ramifications in the rise of beer,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Marc Charles Williams, better known as Mars Williams, the front-and-center saxophonist of ’80s New Wave bands The Waitresses and The Psychedelic Furs, died Nov. 20 of the rare and aggressive ampullary cancer in a Chicago hospice facility. He was 68.
His death was announced by his family on a GoFundMe page last month, but has more recently gained widespread attention. His brother Paul R. Williams confirmed the cause of death to The New York Times for an obituary posted today.
Following his initial stints in the Waitresses and Psychedelic Furs – both bands were early MTV favorites with videos often spotlighting the playful Williams, and he would reunite with the Furs throughout his life – the saxophonist went on to lead his own jazz ensembles including the influential, Grammy-nominated acid jazz group Liquid Soul in the 1990s.
A statement posted by his family on the GoFundMe page reads, in part, “Until the end, Mars’ inexhaustible humor and energy,...
His death was announced by his family on a GoFundMe page last month, but has more recently gained widespread attention. His brother Paul R. Williams confirmed the cause of death to The New York Times for an obituary posted today.
Following his initial stints in the Waitresses and Psychedelic Furs – both bands were early MTV favorites with videos often spotlighting the playful Williams, and he would reunite with the Furs throughout his life – the saxophonist went on to lead his own jazz ensembles including the influential, Grammy-nominated acid jazz group Liquid Soul in the 1990s.
A statement posted by his family on the GoFundMe page reads, in part, “Until the end, Mars’ inexhaustible humor and energy,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Adam Sandler is heading back to fifth grade for his latest film, Leo.
In the Netflix animated movie, the star voices a 70-year-old lizard named Leo, who for decades has served as a class pet for a rotating group of fifth graders. One day, he learns he only has a year left to live and plans to escape to freedom, but instead has to rescue the students from their mean substitute teacher.
Sandler, who also co-wrote and produced the project, told The Hollywood Reporter at its Los Angeles premiere on Sunday that he was inspired to a do a version of “Grease for the last year of elementary school,” while working with writer-director Robert Smigel to craft a musical comedy. Sandler stars in the voice cast alongside his daughters Sunny and Sadie, as well as wife Jackie, marking the second family collaboration they’ve done this year, after You Are...
In the Netflix animated movie, the star voices a 70-year-old lizard named Leo, who for decades has served as a class pet for a rotating group of fifth graders. One day, he learns he only has a year left to live and plans to escape to freedom, but instead has to rescue the students from their mean substitute teacher.
Sandler, who also co-wrote and produced the project, told The Hollywood Reporter at its Los Angeles premiere on Sunday that he was inspired to a do a version of “Grease for the last year of elementary school,” while working with writer-director Robert Smigel to craft a musical comedy. Sandler stars in the voice cast alongside his daughters Sunny and Sadie, as well as wife Jackie, marking the second family collaboration they’ve done this year, after You Are...
- 11/20/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producer Lisa Saltzman has acquired feature film rights to Mark Bego’s upcoming biography, “Joe Cocker: With a Lot of Help from His Friends,” which chronicles the life and career of the blues-rock star.
The book will be published by Yorkshire Publishing on Nov. 16. It is the first biography written about Cocker since his death in 2014. The British singer’s distinctive, raspy voice made him a chart-topper. His biggest hits include his cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” (later heard on the opening credits of “The Wonder Years”) as well as his version of Traffic’s “Feeling’ Alright?” (memorably performed with John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live”). Cocker’s “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes, was featured in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” It later earned him a Grammy Award in 1983 and was his best-selling song. Cocker released a total of 22 studio...
The book will be published by Yorkshire Publishing on Nov. 16. It is the first biography written about Cocker since his death in 2014. The British singer’s distinctive, raspy voice made him a chart-topper. His biggest hits include his cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” (later heard on the opening credits of “The Wonder Years”) as well as his version of Traffic’s “Feeling’ Alright?” (memorably performed with John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live”). Cocker’s “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes, was featured in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” It later earned him a Grammy Award in 1983 and was his best-selling song. Cocker released a total of 22 studio...
- 11/9/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
“Saturday Night Live” premiered October 11, 1975 on NBC with a group of fresh-faced cast members known as the “Not Ready For Prime-Time Players.” None of those original stars lasted for more than five seasons, but they all made their mark on the late night sketch series that is still going strong nearly five decades later.
Over the past 49 seasons (and counting), who are “SNL’s” longest-running cast members ever? Kenan Thompson currently holds the record at a whopping 21 seasons. His closest competition is Darrell Hammond, who starred for 14 seasons before leaving and then returning as the show’s announcer. Scroll through our “Saturday Night Live” photo gallery below to see more long-time cast members. Originally published January 2023.
Over the past 49 seasons (and counting), who are “SNL’s” longest-running cast members ever? Kenan Thompson currently holds the record at a whopping 21 seasons. His closest competition is Darrell Hammond, who starred for 14 seasons before leaving and then returning as the show’s announcer. Scroll through our “Saturday Night Live” photo gallery below to see more long-time cast members. Originally published January 2023.
- 10/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Slayyyter is sitting on a couch in Room 49 of the historic Chateau Marmont hotel in West Hollywood. She’s bare-faced, barefoot, and sporting a silky, off-white nightgown as she takes sips of her iced coffee. “I feel like if you die here, you’re immortalized in Hollywood culture,” she muses. Last night’s empty bottles of Dom Pérignon and a half-eaten cake sit on the kitchen counter. It’s the morning of her 27th birthday.
“I’m really weird with this place,” the pop singer continues, casually citing the number...
“I’m really weird with this place,” the pop singer continues, casually citing the number...
- 9/20/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
The Second City announced plans Tuesday to open a physical location in New York this November, alongside its first slate of shows and cast.
The improvisational comedy enterprise, which supports live theater and training, will house its new nearly 12,000 square-foot entertainment complex at 64 N. 9th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Set to open on Nov. 16, the venue will feature two cabaret-style live theaters, seven Training Center classrooms, and a full-service restaurant and bar.
The Second City currently has two other physical locations, with its Toronto location celebrating its 50th year, followed by a 65th anniversary for The Second City Chicago in 2024. The opening of the New York location arrives as the comedy brand looks to expand content offerings onto new platforms beyond the live stage, according to the company.
“There is no better way to kick off our 65th anniversary celebrations than by opening the doors to The Second City New York in Williamsburg,...
The improvisational comedy enterprise, which supports live theater and training, will house its new nearly 12,000 square-foot entertainment complex at 64 N. 9th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Set to open on Nov. 16, the venue will feature two cabaret-style live theaters, seven Training Center classrooms, and a full-service restaurant and bar.
The Second City currently has two other physical locations, with its Toronto location celebrating its 50th year, followed by a 65th anniversary for The Second City Chicago in 2024. The opening of the New York location arrives as the comedy brand looks to expand content offerings onto new platforms beyond the live stage, according to the company.
“There is no better way to kick off our 65th anniversary celebrations than by opening the doors to The Second City New York in Williamsburg,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bill Murray first came to national attention when he joined “Saturday Night Live” in its second season to replace the departed Chevy Chase. Like many of his SNL colleagues of the era Murray was able to parlay his television success into a film career. He first made his film mark in comedies but in later years would take on increasingly dramatic films as well, earning an Oscar nomination as Best Actor for “Lost in Translation” (2003). Murray would return to TV in 2015 for the HBO limited series “Olive Kitteridge,” for which he won an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor playing a suicidal man who becomes involved with the title character (Frances McDormand).
Murray’s career got off to a somewhat shaky start when he was cast in the first season of “Saturday Night Live” but unfortunately for Murray it was the wrong “SNL.” Instead of the classic program for NBC (for...
Murray’s career got off to a somewhat shaky start when he was cast in the first season of “Saturday Night Live” but unfortunately for Murray it was the wrong “SNL.” Instead of the classic program for NBC (for...
- 9/14/2023
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Former “Saturday Night Live” star, Jane Curtin, was taken by surprise by the longstanding show’s humourless early episodes.
Curtin, who served as one of the original “SNL” cast members, recently rewatched the award-winning comedy show’s earliest sketches with her family and was shocked by the absent laughter.
“We were sent the five year compilation video of ‘Saturday Night Live”s first five years a few years ago, and I gave one to my daughter,” Curtin, 75, recalled to People. “We were out visiting her daughter one Christmas, and her husband said, ‘Have you ever watched any of these? And I said, ‘God, I haven’t seen them in a long time.’
Read More: Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman Remember The Big Backstage ‘SNL’ Fight Between Bill Murray And Chevy Chase
“He said, ‘would you mind if we watch one?’ And I said, ‘No, great! Pick one!'” she continued,...
Curtin, who served as one of the original “SNL” cast members, recently rewatched the award-winning comedy show’s earliest sketches with her family and was shocked by the absent laughter.
“We were sent the five year compilation video of ‘Saturday Night Live”s first five years a few years ago, and I gave one to my daughter,” Curtin, 75, recalled to People. “We were out visiting her daughter one Christmas, and her husband said, ‘Have you ever watched any of these? And I said, ‘God, I haven’t seen them in a long time.’
Read More: Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman Remember The Big Backstage ‘SNL’ Fight Between Bill Murray And Chevy Chase
“He said, ‘would you mind if we watch one?’ And I said, ‘No, great! Pick one!'” she continued,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
“Saturday Night Live” debuted in 1975 with seven cast members: Jane Curtin, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner and Garrett Morris. Curtin recently revealed that she watched a compilation of her five seasons on the show and was disappointed. As she put it, “Not one thing was funny.”
Curtin told People that she was visiting her daughter and son-in-law at Christmas when they suggested watching her old clips. She said, “So we sat around the TV, and I had that sort of anticipatory, open-mouth grin that people have when they’re waiting for something to happen, that they know is going to be really great.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she hoped. Curtin continued, “And … it never happened. It wasn’t funny. Not one thing was funny. There was not one utterance of a laugh or a giggle.”
The actress was quick to add that she...
Curtin told People that she was visiting her daughter and son-in-law at Christmas when they suggested watching her old clips. She said, “So we sat around the TV, and I had that sort of anticipatory, open-mouth grin that people have when they’re waiting for something to happen, that they know is going to be really great.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she hoped. Curtin continued, “And … it never happened. It wasn’t funny. Not one thing was funny. There was not one utterance of a laugh or a giggle.”
The actress was quick to add that she...
- 8/20/2023
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
"Ghostbusters" famously went through many iterations behind the scenes before it became a blockbuster hit in 1984. John Candy could have played Louis Tully, John Belushi was originally envisioned as Peter Venkman, and Eddie Murphy would have joined the team as Winston Zeddemore. But as we all know, Rick Moranis, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson stepped into those roles and cemented themselves in Hollywood history. However, there's another intriguing piece of casting you might not have heard about, and it involves the late, great Paul Reubens.
If you've seen "Ghostbusters," you know that the primary villain turns out to be Gozer the Gozerian, a shapeshifting, inter-dimensional, apocalyptic entity, who has been worshiped as a Sumerian god. Though Gozer can appear however it wants, they take the form of an intimidating woman in an ethereal body suit with terrifying red eyes and a flattop haircut. In the movie, Gozer is played by Yugoslav model Slavitza Jovan,...
If you've seen "Ghostbusters," you know that the primary villain turns out to be Gozer the Gozerian, a shapeshifting, inter-dimensional, apocalyptic entity, who has been worshiped as a Sumerian god. Though Gozer can appear however it wants, they take the form of an intimidating woman in an ethereal body suit with terrifying red eyes and a flattop haircut. In the movie, Gozer is played by Yugoslav model Slavitza Jovan,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd has had a long and steady career ever since he first began doing improvisational comedy with the famed Second City troupe in both their Chicago and Toronto theaters.
Fame came to Aykoyd when he was hired for what seemed like a low expectations comedy/variety show NBC was beginning for late Saturday evenings. “Saturday Night Live” became a bit of a phenomenon launching all the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (as the cast was called) into stardom. Aykroyd along with Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris suddenly found themselves among the most talked about television stars working in the business.
Aykroyd and Belushi became especially close friends during the series run and began working in films together such as “Neighbors,” “The Blues Brothers” and potentially “Ghostbusters,” but Belushi’s overdose at the age of 33 caused Bill Murray...
Fame came to Aykoyd when he was hired for what seemed like a low expectations comedy/variety show NBC was beginning for late Saturday evenings. “Saturday Night Live” became a bit of a phenomenon launching all the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (as the cast was called) into stardom. Aykroyd along with Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris suddenly found themselves among the most talked about television stars working in the business.
Aykroyd and Belushi became especially close friends during the series run and began working in films together such as “Neighbors,” “The Blues Brothers” and potentially “Ghostbusters,” but Belushi’s overdose at the age of 33 caused Bill Murray...
- 6/24/2023
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Before Harrison Ford dusts off his fedora and rethreads his trusty bullwhip for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, we’re looking back at the film that launched one of the most iconic action adventure franchises in Hollywood history, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The brainchild of George Lucas and his close friend, Steven Spielberg. Their collective vision for Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr. evolved from their love of old adventure serials. They saw Indy as an American equivalent of James Bond, an explorer who uncovers artifacts and punches Nazis instead of fighting for his queen and country and sleeping with the enemy.
After Ford’s scruffy-looking Nerf Herder from Star Wars, Han Solo, became frozen in carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, the actor began searching for a project to boost his rising star to new heights. Fortuitously, Lucas had been toiling with ideas...
After Ford’s scruffy-looking Nerf Herder from Star Wars, Han Solo, became frozen in carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, the actor began searching for a project to boost his rising star to new heights. Fortuitously, Lucas had been toiling with ideas...
- 6/20/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The comedy world has been blessed with countless brilliant individuals whose laughter and wit have brightened our lives. Tragically, some of the most gifted stand-ups and comic actors have been taken from us too soon. Their stories are a mixture of laughter, pain, and heartache, leaving indelible marks on the comedy world. In this blog post, we pay tribute to the comedians who died young, exploring their lives, personal struggles, and the legacies they left behind.
Related: The 10 Best Stand-Up Specials of All Time (Ranked Best to Worst)
Short Summary Lenny Bruce, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Bernie Mac, Patrice O’Neal, and Mitch Hedberg all left legacy of courageous comedy. Bill Hicks and Andy Kaufman revolutionized the art of comedy with their boundary-pushing performances. Kevin Barnett, Jak Knight & Nick Nemeroff tragically passed too soon. Greg Giraldo & Freddie Prinze lost to addiction, a heartbreaking reminder that rising stars can be gone instantly.
Related: The 10 Best Stand-Up Specials of All Time (Ranked Best to Worst)
Short Summary Lenny Bruce, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Bernie Mac, Patrice O’Neal, and Mitch Hedberg all left legacy of courageous comedy. Bill Hicks and Andy Kaufman revolutionized the art of comedy with their boundary-pushing performances. Kevin Barnett, Jak Knight & Nick Nemeroff tragically passed too soon. Greg Giraldo & Freddie Prinze lost to addiction, a heartbreaking reminder that rising stars can be gone instantly.
- 5/28/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Toronto’s favorite son turns his eye toward New York, and back to 1975 for his next project. Jason Reitman is currently producing the next “Ghostbusters” picture with director and co-writer Gil Kenan and leads Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, but he’s got his next project lined up at Sony Pictures.
As per Deadline, the “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director will be back behind the camera for an untitled “Saturday Night Live” opening night project. Kenan will co-write the script.
Casting has not been announced, but somebody out there is (probably) going to be playing producer Lorne Michaels and first-episode cast members like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Garrett Morris. Also, potentially, writers like Michael O’Donoghue, Al Franken, Anne Beatts, Alan Zweibel, and others. The first guest on “SNL” was George Carlin so maybe someone will be doing an impression of the comedian during his “Toledo Window Box” era,...
As per Deadline, the “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director will be back behind the camera for an untitled “Saturday Night Live” opening night project. Kenan will co-write the script.
Casting has not been announced, but somebody out there is (probably) going to be playing producer Lorne Michaels and first-episode cast members like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Garrett Morris. Also, potentially, writers like Michael O’Donoghue, Al Franken, Anne Beatts, Alan Zweibel, and others. The first guest on “SNL” was George Carlin so maybe someone will be doing an impression of the comedian during his “Toledo Window Box” era,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
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