Why There's A Llama Backstage In Saturday Night (2024)

Saturday Night

Why There's A Llama Backstage In Saturday Night (1)

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Saturday Night

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Why There's A Llama Backstage In Saturday Night (5)

The Saturday Night movie has an odd storyline centering on a backstage llama, and here is the animal's connection to Saturday Night Live, explained. Multiple times throughout the events of Saturday Night, it is mentioned to SNL series creator Lorne Michaels that there is a llama backstage. This gag is never paid off in the Saturday Night movie, but fans of SNL know exactly what this bit is referencing.

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The Saturday Night movie is a love letter to the early days of Saturday Night Live, with the film exploring the hours leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live. There are all kinds of SNL Easter eggs and references in Saturday Night, with fans of the series being able to pick up on tons of in-jokes and sight gags that serve as nods to the hit sketch comedy series. Unlike many of the Easter eggs, Saturday Night's llama joke is referenced over and over again, and here is what it actually means.

Saturday Night Explains Why Lorne Michaels Ordered A Llama

The Movie's Running Gag Connects To An SNL Running Gag

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At one point in Saturday Night, Lorne Michaels orders a llama, although the reason why isn't explained to the audience. Later in the film, another crew member tells Lorne that there is a llama at the loading bay doors, something that is mentioned again several times throughout Saturday Night. The llama never has a major impact on the story, but this odd detail is a real fact from Lorne Michaels' life.

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Like many of the details that Lorne Michaels requests in Saturday Night, Lorne ordered the llama for the first SNL episode because he simply thought it was funny. In SNL, llamas are used as part of a frequently recurring backstage gag, and this moment in Saturday Night is meant to foreshadow the long-running joke.

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The Llama Is Part Of A Longtime Backstage SNL Joke

It Is Always Seen Alongside A Showgirl And Abe Lincoln

Throughout the history of Saturday Night Live, llamas have been part of one of the show's most famous backstage running jokes. This joke is that, anytime the camera goes backstage during an episode of SNL, a llama, a showgirl, and Abraham Lincoln can be seen, a joke that has been continued since the early days of the show. This gag is meant to represent the zany and random nature of SNL, as any of these subjects could be realistically inserted into any episode.

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Saturday Night features an original score from Grammy & Oscar winner Jon Batiste and reenacts live guest perfomances by Janis Ian & Billy Preston.

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While the backstage llama gag did stop appearing as frequently in the 1980s and 1990s, Seth Meyers brought it back in the 2000s, with him being a fan of the joke. This is why the llama gag can still be seen in SNL episodes to this day, explaining why Saturday Night felt the need to reference it.

Why There's A Llama Backstage In Saturday Night (8)

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Saturday Night (2024)

R

Drama

Comedy

Saturday Night (2024) is a forthcoming film with an undisclosed director. The movie centers on the vibrant nightlife of a bustling city, capturing the intertwining lives and stories of a diverse ensemble cast navigating personal and social challenges over the course of a single evening.

Director
Jason Reitman

Release Date
October 11, 2024

Writers
Gil Kenan , Jason Reitman
Cast
Gabriel LaBelle , Rachel Sennott , Cooper Hoffman , Dylan O'Brien , Cory Michael Smith , Lamorne Morris , Willem Dafoe , Ella Hunt , Emily Fairn , Matt Wood , Kim Matula , tommy dewey , Andrew Barth Feldman , Nicholas Braun , Kaia Gerber , Catherine Curtin , Nicholas Podany , Corinne Britti , Finn Wolfhard , J.K. Simmons , Matthew Rhys , Taylor Gray , Leander Suleiman , Mcabe Gregg , Kirsty Woodward , Jon Batiste , Naomi McPherson , Brian Welch , Tracy Letts , Paul Rust , Josh Brener , Brad Garrett , Rowan Joseph , Billy Bryk , Ellen Boscov , Justin Matthew Smith , Abraham Hsu , Parker Wierling , Presley Coley , James Logan , Robert Wuhl , Drew Scheid

Character(s)
Lorne Michaels , Rosie Shuster , Dick Ebersol , Dan Aykroyd , Chevy Chase , Garrett Morris , David Tebet , Gilda Radner , Laraine Newman , John Belushi , Jane Curtin , Michael O'Donoghue , Neil Levy , Andy Kaufman , Jacqueline Carlin , Joan Carbunkle , Billy Crystal , Valri Bromfield , NBC Page , Milton Berle , George Carlin , Al Franken , Anne Beatts , Tom Davis , Audrey Dickman , Billy Preston , Janis Ian , Don Pardo , Herb Sargent , Paul Shaffer , Alan Zweibel , Borscht Belt Comedian , Jim Fox , Carl , Mrs. Kaufman , Joe Dicso , Leo Yoshimura , Tom Schiller , Barbara Gallagher , Stew Sorrentino , Dave Wilson , Bob Pook

Runtime
109 Minutes
Main Genre
Drama
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Why There's A Llama Backstage In Saturday Night (2024)

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