<p id=”par-1_60″><em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/saturday-night-live/”>Saturday Night Live</a></em> didn’t appear to be the type of television series that would spawn a major motion picture when it debuted in 1974. But, as the show evolved, many of its most legendary skits became the basis of several hit movies. As the show celebrates its <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/massive-snl-50-celebration-star-studded-homecoming-concert-announced.html/?swcfpc=1″>50th anniversary</a> on NBC, just how many movies were spinoffs of <em>SNL</em> skits?</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-many-movies-were-spun-off-of-snl-skits”>How many movies were spun off of ‘SNL’ skits?</h2>
<p id=”par-2_23″>A dozen films were spun off of <em>SNL</em> skits throughout the series five decades. Some were wildly popular while others, not so much.</p>
<p id=”par-3_40″>The first film spinoff from <em>SNL</em> was 1980s <em>The Blues Brothers</em>. Starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, the movie tells the story of Elwood and Jake Blues. Ironically, the Blues Brothers weren’t skit characters, but musical performers on the series.</p>
<p id=”par-4_36″>It took a dozen years before another <em>SNL </em>spinoff film hit theaters. <em>Wayne’s World</em> detailed the chronicles of slackers Wayne and Garth, played by Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey, and debuted in theaters in 1992. </p>
<p id=”par-5_35″>It took until 1993 for the wildly popular <em>Coneheads</em> family to get their big screen treatment. The characters, which debuted on <em>SNL</em> in 1977, got the feature film treatment sixteen years after their initial introduction.</p>
<p id=”par-6_46″>That same year, <em>Wayne’s World 2</em> debuted, followed by Julia Sweeney’s <em>It’s Pat </em>in 1994 and <em>Stuart Saves His Family</em> in 1995 starring Al Franken. In 1998, <em>Blues Brothers 2000</em> and <em>A Night at the Roxbury</em> premiered, but only the latter recouped its initial investment.</p>
<p id=”par-7_37″>Molly Shannon headed <em>Superstar</em> in 1999 and Tim Meadows followed with <em>The Ladies Man</em> with Tim Meadows as radio host Leon Phelps. Rounding out films spun-off of SNL is <em>MacGruber</em> in 2010, and <em>Saturday Night</em> in 2024.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-which-snl-film-made-the-most-money”>Which ‘SNL’ film made the most money?</h2>
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<iframe title=”‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ scene from Wayne’s World Movie. #BoRhap40″ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/kMdgOF0e-lI?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-8_42″>According to <a href=”https://www.boxofficemojo.com/brand/bn3513973250/?sort=openingNumTheaters” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Box Office Mojo</a>, the <em>SNL</em> spinoff that made the most money overall was <em>Wayne’s World</em>. Since the film was released in 1992, it has cumulatively grossed $121,697,323. Coming in second was <em>The Blues Brothers</em>, with a recorded gross of $57,229,890.</p>
<p id=”par-9_29″>Third place belongs to <em>Wayne’s World 2</em>, at $48,197,805. <em>Superstar </em>ranks fourth at $30,636,478 and in fifth place is <em>A Night at the Roxbury</em> with a gross of $30,331,165.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-snl-s-alums-are-some-of-the-top-grossing-actors-in-the-film-industry”>‘SNL’s’ alums are some of the top-grossing actors in the film industry </h2>
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<iframe title=”Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/oc3sPICXZLs?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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From Abbey Road to Studio 8H: The First Member of The Beatles to Perform on ‘SNL’ </a>
</p>
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<p id=”par-10_42″>While many of the film spinoffs from <em>SNL</em> are spotty when it comes to big box office grosses, many of the show’s graduates went on to become bonafide movie stars. Here are the top five <em>SNL</em> alums that became box office magnates.</p>
<p id=”par-11_33″>At the <a href=”https://www.the-numbers.com/person/700401-Eddie-Murphy#tab=summary” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>top spot</a> is Eddie Murphy. He was only on <em>SNL</em> for four seasons but has since enjoyed a <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/robin-williams-called-eddie-murphy-shark-knows-blood.html/?swcfpc=1″>forty-plus-year career </a>in the entertainment industry. His films have grossed over $6B worldwide.</p>
<p id=”par-12_39″><a href=”https://www.the-numbers.com/person/8030401-Dan-Aykroyd#tab=summary” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Second is Dan Aykroyd</a>, whose movies earned a combined $4.4B. He frequently paired up with other <em>SNL</em> stars including John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy for top-grossing films such as <em>The Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters</em>, and <em>Trading Places</em>. </p>
<p id=”par-13_32″>Robert Downey Jr. only appeared on <em>SNL</em> for one season, beginning in 1984. Downey’s career hit a rough patch when substance abuse and legal troubles made him uninsurable by movie studios. </p>
<p id=”par-14_43″>Mel Gibson famously paid a liability insurance bond so Downey could star in 2003’s <em>The Singing Detective</em>. By 2008 he was the lead in Marvel’s <em>Iron Man</em>. His films have earned more than $3B combined and culminated in a 2024 Oscar win for <em>Oppenheimer</em>.</p>
<p id=”par-15_11″><em>Saturday Night Live</em> airs Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.</p>