Early Buzz on ‘SNL 1975’ Wants Us to Believe It’s ‘Fantastic’

It was only a few months ago that casting news was announced for SNL 1975, the Jason Reitman film chronicling the anxious 90 minutes leading up to the first live broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night. But according to World of Reel, Reitman and the cast wrapped filming in late April and three test screenings have been held in the past month. At least one Twitter/X user was steamed that the test screenings were restricted to people between 18 and 54 — meaning anyone who was a teen or young adult SNL fan in 1975 had to take a hike in 2024. Irony!

What’s the early word? World of Reel heard from someone who saw the film — the site’s “resident test screener” (is that a thing?) — and the reaction was a rave: “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 (who plays Lorne Michaels) was best in show for me, but it’s also hard to fully pinpoint a bona fide 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.”

Okay then! The film, which should be ready in time to ride the SNL 50th anniversary publicity wave, sounds promising. But it’s hard to know exactly what to make of the test screener’s reaction, especially since the source was anonymous. Is this someone friendly to the Reitman camp? An SNL superfan? Gabriel LaBelle’s mother? I’m not calling hijinks here, but any anonymous positive buzz that leaks out in advance of a movie’s release has to be taken with a grain of salt. 

Jeffrey Wells tried a little digging of his own on his Hollywood Elsewhere page. A Sony spokesperson wouldn’t reveal much but confirmed that the movie is “indeed terrific.” Wells quotes World of Reel’s Jordan Ruimy as piling on the raves: “Possible Best Picture contender. Major comeback for Reitman.” 

All of the above caveats apply. 

Whether or not SNL 1975 is actually any good, there was another bit of previously unannounced casting news hidden in the test screener’s reaction. Succession’s Nicholas Braun, who had previously been announced as Jim Henson in the film, appears to be playing Andy Kaufman as well. The double casting is an odd choice, but if any character would have a dual identity, it would be Kaufman, a comedian who loved to mess with audience expectations by playing with multiple personas. Braun still isn’t listed as Kaufman on IMDb, but your eyes don’t lie:

Will Braun be “fantastic” in two roles? We’ll find out soon enough.