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 . 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 ot.