From the Blues Brothers’ musical mayhem to MacGruber’s delayed cult status, these seven films represent when Studio 8H successfully gambled on the big screen.
Saturday Night Live has been making us laugh since Gerald Ford was president, but only a handful of its characters ever made the jump to movie theaters. These rare sketch-to-screen translations gave us some genuine comedy classics alongside a few noble failures that still found their audience. From the original Blues Brothers mission to the head-bobbing Butabi brothers, here’s a look at when Studio 8H took a shot at Hollywood stardom.
Universal Pictures
Jake and Elwood Blues weren’t just the first SNL characters to headline their own movie—they set the gold standard. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd transformed their musical sketch into an epic quest filled with car-wrecking chases, deadpan humor, and knockout performances from R&B legends like Aretha Franklin. Director John Landis somehow balanced the absurd premise with genuine heart, creating that rare comedy where both the jokes and the music actually work. Four decades later, nothing tops watching these men in black put the band back together.
Paramount Pictures
This basement cable show parody shocked everyone by becoming a box office smash that earned over $180 million worldwide. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey captured lightning as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, two metal-loving slackers fighting to preserve their show’s integrity against corporate sellout Rob Lowe. Beyond catchphrases that instantly entered the lexicon (“We’re not worthy!”), the film famously featured their car sing-along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” sending the 17-year-old song rocketing back onto radio stations and MTV.
Paramount Pictures
Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin resurrected their cone-headed aliens from SNL‘s early days for this surprisingly touching family comedy. What served as a one-joke sketch about bizarre aliens trying to blend in expanded into a genuinely funny story about immigration, assimilation, and parenting a teenage cone. The practical effects hold up pretty well, as does the supporting cast, which features a young David Spade, Sinbad, and Michael McKean. While it wasn’t a critical success, the film captured the weird spirit of the original sketches while giving its characters some depth.
Paramount Pictures
Lightning almost struck twice when Wayne and Garth returned just one year later. The sequel finds Wayne receiving instructions from Jim Morrison’s ghost to organize a massive concert called “Waynestock.” Though it didn’t match the cultural impact of the original, the follow-up delivered plenty of memorable moments, including Christopher Walken’s intensely bizarre music producer and Garth’s odd romance with Kim Basinger. The film’s slightly more surreal approach — including an extended “Graduate” parody — showed the characters could still surprise us.
Paramount Pictures
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s head-bobbing club hopefuls somehow stretched their wordless sketch into a full movie about two brothers desperate to open their own nightclub. Against all odds, these one-note characters developed something resembling a story, complete with romantic subplots and family drama. While critics weren’t impressed, the film perfectly captured late-90s club culture and featured an absolutely killer soundtrack headlined by Haddaway’s “What Is Love” — the song that launched a thousand head-bobs.
Paramount Pictures
Molly Shannon’s awkward Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher graduated from anxious monologues to leading lady in this underappreciated comedy. Shannon’s physical comedy skills shine as her character pursues fame and romance while battling her own social awkwardness. Will Ferrell returns as the object of her affection, playing an exaggerated version of Jesus that somehow works perfectly. Though divisive upon release, Shannon’s fearless performance gives this movie a heart that many SNL adaptations lack.
Universal Pictures
Will Forte’s MacGyver parody took the longest path to success, bombing at the box office before finding its audience on home video. The film commits fully to its R-rated absurdity, following the mullet-sporting special operative as he battles his nemesis Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer). Director Jorma Taccone embraced both 80s action movie tropes and uncomfortably long sex scenes to create something genuinely unique in the SNL film canon. MacGruber’s cult following grew so devoted that it eventually spawned a Peacock series — proof that sometimes the weirdest SNL characters have the most staying power.
Saturday Night Live has been making us laugh since Gerald Ford was president, but only a handful of its characters ever made the jump to movie theaters. These rare sketch-to-screen translations gave us some genuine comedy classics alongside a few noble failures that still found their audience. From the original Blues Brothers mission to the head-bobbing Butabi brothers, here’s a look at when Studio 8H took a shot at Hollywood stardom.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Universal Pictures
Jake and Elwood Blues weren’t just the first SNL characters to headline their own movie—they set the gold standard. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd transformed their musical sketch into an epic quest filled with car-wrecking chases, deadpan humor, and knockout performances from R&B legends like Aretha Franklin. Director John Landis somehow balanced the absurd premise with genuine heart, creating that rare comedy where both the jokes and the music actually work. Four decades later, nothing tops watching these men in black put the band back together.
Wayne’s World (1992)
Paramount Pictures
This basement cable show parody shocked everyone by becoming a box office smash that earned over $180 million worldwide. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey captured lightning as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, two metal-loving slackers fighting to preserve their show’s integrity against corporate sellout Rob Lowe. Beyond catchphrases that instantly entered the lexicon (“We’re not worthy!”), the film famously featured their car sing-along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” sending the 17-year-old song rocketing back onto radio stations and MTV.
Coneheads (1993)
Paramount Pictures
Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin resurrected their cone-headed aliens from SNL‘s early days for this surprisingly touching family comedy. What served as a one-joke sketch about bizarre aliens trying to blend in expanded into a genuinely funny story about immigration, assimilation, and parenting a teenage cone. The practical effects hold up pretty well, as does the supporting cast, which features a young David Spade, Sinbad, and Michael McKean. While it wasn’t a critical success, the film captured the weird spirit of the original sketches while giving its characters some depth.
Wayne’s World 2 (1993)
Paramount Pictures
Lightning almost struck twice when Wayne and Garth returned just one year later. The sequel finds Wayne receiving instructions from Jim Morrison’s ghost to organize a massive concert called “Waynestock.” Though it didn’t match the cultural impact of the original, the follow-up delivered plenty of memorable moments, including Christopher Walken’s intensely bizarre music producer and Garth’s odd romance with Kim Basinger. The film’s slightly more surreal approach — including an extended “Graduate” parody — showed the characters could still surprise us.
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Paramount Pictures
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s head-bobbing club hopefuls somehow stretched their wordless sketch into a full movie about two brothers desperate to open their own nightclub. Against all odds, these one-note characters developed something resembling a story, complete with romantic subplots and family drama. While critics weren’t impressed, the film perfectly captured late-90s club culture and featured an absolutely killer soundtrack headlined by Haddaway’s “What Is Love” — the song that launched a thousand head-bobs.
Superstar (1999)
Paramount Pictures
Molly Shannon’s awkward Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher graduated from anxious monologues to leading lady in this underappreciated comedy. Shannon’s physical comedy skills shine as her character pursues fame and romance while battling her own social awkwardness. Will Ferrell returns as the object of her affection, playing an exaggerated version of Jesus that somehow works perfectly. Though divisive upon release, Shannon’s fearless performance gives this movie a heart that many SNL adaptations lack.
MacGruber (2010)
Universal Pictures
Will Forte’s MacGyver parody took the longest path to success, bombing at the box office before finding its audience on home video. The film commits fully to its R-rated absurdity, following the mullet-sporting special operative as he battles his nemesis Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer). Director Jorma Taccone embraced both 80s action movie tropes and uncomfortably long sex scenes to create something genuinely unique in the SNL film canon. MacGruber’s cult following grew so devoted that it eventually spawned a Peacock series — proof that sometimes the weirdest SNL characters have the most staying power.