“SNL” vet Dan Aykroyd praises new biopic “Saturday Night”: 'A stand-alone masterpiece'

“SNL” vet Dan Aykroyd praises new biopic “Saturday Night”: 'A stand-alone masterpiece'

"A perfect window into the creative process at its highest level," wrote the comedy legend, played by Dylan O'Brien in the film.

Dan Aykroyd has just shared one of the most biased movie reviews of all time.

The Trading Places star sang the praises of Jason Reitman's new Saturday Night Live biopic, Saturday Night, in which Dylan O'Brien portrays young Aykroyd in the 90 minutes leading up to the first SNL broadcast in 1975.

"Cracking a Head to applaud Jason Reitman's triumphant SNL film. Wow!" he wrote on social media, promoting both his Crystal Head vodka brand and the film.

<p>Edie Baskin/Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty</p> Dan Aykroyd on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1976

Edie Baskin/Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty

Dan Aykroyd on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1976

Aykroyd, who worked with Reitman and Saturday Night co-writer Gil Kenan on the two most recent Ghostbusters flicks, had nothing but kind words for the project. "What a propulsive, engaging, funny, beautifully cast and acted, suspenseful, adventurous, music-filled ride," he wrote. "A perfect window into the creative process at its highest level."

The Coneheads star, who also frequently collaborated with Reitman's father, Ivan Reitman, noted that the film was "pretty accurate" in its depiction of SNL's very first episode. "I was there that night and got to relive it wonderfully again," he wrote, shouting out the aforementioned co-writer and director as well as producer Jason Blumenfeld. "Congratulations Gil, Jason, and Blumie. Don't miss it whether you know the show or not. It is a stand-alone masterpiece and surefire candidate for Best Picture."

Lamorne Morris, who portrays SNL cast member Garrett Morris in the film, responded to Aykroyd, writing, "Yes indeed!!!!! Hope we made ya proud!"

Related: Saturday Night's Lamorne Morris explains Garrett Morris' climactic (and improvised!) 'Kill All the Whities' song

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reitman and Kenan said many of the other SNL figures depicted in their movie have seen and enjoyed Saturday Night, including Morris, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Alan Zweibel, Billy Crystal, and Howard Shore. "The response has been genuinely favorable," Reitman said. "Everyone's been lovely — it's the honest-to-God truth. They've been really sweet."

<p>Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty</p> Dan Aykroyd in 2024

Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty

Dan Aykroyd in 2024

Kenan added, "I hope that what they see in it is that we made this with a spirit of absolute love for the world of comedy that they helped create. It's really cool that there's so many of them out there still working and still making stuff that we're into, because we feel really indebted to all of 'em."

Related: Dylan O'Brien doesn't remember if he met Dan Aykroyd before playing him in Saturday Night

Reitman and Kenan also told EW that Aykroyd was the hardest character to cast while pulling together the massive Saturday Night ensemble. "He's the most specific communicator I think I've ever met," Kenan said. "It took two of us having worked with him and knowing him personally to even attempt to write dialogue for Dan because he's so singular. Luckily we found Dylan O'Brien, who is whip-smart, but also able to capture a very unique sort of bravado confidence. You hear stories about young Danny in 1975, and he had an X factor that people picked up on. I mean, he walked into that building in full black motorcycle chaps. He's one of a kind."

In a separate interview, O'Brien told EW that he almost didn't audition for Saturday Night because he couldn't see himself playing Aykroyd. "I didn't even send the tape in," he said. "I guess I thought that I didn't really resemble him, which isn't a huge deal, but then I was seeing all the casting announcements, and I was like, 'Wait, what the f---? Everybody totally looks like their person.'"

<p>Sony</p> Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd in 'Saturday Night'

Sony

Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd in 'Saturday Night'

O'Brien was surprised to land the part. "I laid it down on the tape, and then I went in for Jason, and that was it," he said. "I was sort of stunned that I got it, that they ended up feeling that I was right for it. It was a big lesson to never take myself out of the running for something before someone else can."

Related: Saturday Night filmmakers reveal how Billy Crystal supplied the most essential piece of SNL history

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Although O'Brien felt apprehensive about portraying Aykroyd, the director said anxiety never came through in his performance. "Whatever conflict he was having was internal because I wasn't exposed to it at all," Reitman told EW. "All I knew is, we were deep into a casting process that was very tricky, as we have 80 speaking roles. So many of 'em are known personalities and they have to be able to just nail the character quickly, and sometimes they only get a few moments across the entire film to define their arc. And as we're finally putting together this cast, we don't have an Aykroyd."

He continued, "And lo and behold, Dylan O'Brien walks in. I have to be honest, I wasn't really that familiar with him. And he just kills it, just crushes it. He just connected with the ball and understood the speech pattern, understood the intelligence, and understood the sex appeal. He had this beautiful, nerdy sex appeal, and that isn't obvious to everybody at first. And Dylan just nailed it."

O'Brien didn't meet Aykroyd while he prepared to play him — though he might have as a tween, he said in EW's interview with him. "I assume I'll meet him at some point, maybe at one of these things as the movie's rolling out," he said. "I can't wait to meet him when I do. It'll just be a fun, cool little interaction. He did so much for me without even realizing it."

Saturday Night is playing now in theaters.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.