Willem Dafoe Joins Cast of "SNL 1975"

Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe has joined the ensemble cast of Sony Pictures’ "SNL 1975" (working title).

The movie is based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening episode of "Saturday Night Live". 

Dafoe plays David Tebet, who was VP Talent Relations at NBC when SNL launched.

Jason Reitman is directing the pic for Sony Pictures from a script he co-wrote with Gil Kenan. The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted by Reitman and Kenan with all the living cast members, writers and crew. Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Erica Mills and Peter Rice are producing.

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 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 ensemble cast includes Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson, and more.

"SNL 1975" does not have a release date yet.