Dylan O’Brien is keeping a pretty cool head after undertaking his latest role.
The Saturday Night actor said he “can’t wait” to meet Dan Aykroyd following his portrayal of the Saturday Night Live alum in the upcoming Jason Reitman-helmed film, which premieres nationwide on Oct. 11, the 49th anniversary of the NBC sketch comedy show’s first episode.
“I’m okay if my guy hates it. It’s acceptance. That was my method,” he joked to People about Aykroyd’s potential reaction to his performance.
“I hear we’re very similar, in a way that I never knew,” added O’Brien. “I feel like we’re going to get along.”
Saturday Night takes place on October 11, 1975, as a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers change television forever. Formerly titled SNL 1975, the film tells the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the 90 minutes leading up to the first-ever broadcast of SNL.
Dylan O’Brien of Saturday Night poses at the Deadline Studio held at the Bisha Hotel during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
This week, Reitman told Deadline that Aykroyd was the “hardest to cast,” but O’Brien “saved” the film with his participation. “I feel like we spent a year looking for Dan,” he said.
“Dan is tricky,” added Jason, whose late father Ivan Reitman first directed Aykroyd in Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989) and Evolution (2001). Jason also worked with the actor when he helmed the sequels Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).
“He is brilliantly funny, verbose in a way that you just don’t find in other people, his head for detail and language and history. And simultaneously, surprisingly handsome and romantically charismatic,” he explained. “Dylan O’Brien walked in and saved us. I know Dan really well. I grew up with Aykroyd and I’ve now directed him, so I feel like I could write any scene for Dan Aykroyd at this point. I know his voice well enough. And when I gave Dylan a couple keys to find Aykroyd, suddenly it just clicked open and that was the final piece of the puzzle.”
Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Kim Matula as Jane Curtain, Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Josh Brener as Alan Zweibel and Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels in Saturday Night.
Sony
Saturday Night also stars Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman/Jim Henson, Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin and Willem Dafoe as David Tebet.
Meanwhile, SNL‘s milestone 50th season kicks off this weekend with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll.