Focus Features Unveils Lorne, a New Documentary on Lorne Michaels, the Enduring Force Behind Saturday Night Live

Focus Features will release Lorne, the first-ever, behind-the-scenes look into the life of Lorne Michaels, the legendary creator and reluctant icon behind Saturday Night Live. While SNL is one of the most examined and celebrated shows in television history, the man who built and sustained the institution for nearly five decades has largely remained out of view.

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, Lorne reframes a cultural story audiences think they know, offering unprecedented access to the quiet force who shaped American comedy. The film will be released in theaters in the U.S. on April 17, 2026. Focus has worldwide rights on the film and Universal Pictures International will handle international distribution for the studio.

Lorne reunites Focus and Neville for a fourth time having previously partnered on, Piece by Piece, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which earned a number of awards including Best Documentary at the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards. 

Lorne builds upon Focus’ slate of critically acclaimed documentaries including Pope Francis - A Man of His Word from legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders; The Kid Stays in the Picture from Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen; The Ground Truth from Patricia Foulkro; Babies from acclaimed filmmaker, Thomas Balmès; and Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz’s Under the Electric Sky. Focus also recently announced The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist from the Academy Award–winning filmmakers behind Navalny and Everything Everywhere All at Once, set to release in U.S. on March 27, 2026.