Scarlett Johansson Plots SNL Takeover With Eleanor the Great Star

Scarlett Johansson hosting SNL with June Squibb? That is exactly the kind of chaos I am here for. It is not a thing yet, but both of them just said they are into it, which is how every good SNL rumor starts.

How this wish got rolling

Entertainment Tonight caught up with Johansson and Squibb while they were promoting Johansson's directing debut, the feature 'Eleanor the Great.' The interviewer brought up Johansson joking about co-hosting Weekend Update with Squibb, and asked how real that idea is. Johansson basically threw it to the crowd.

'We need a public plea.'

'First of all, I don't know if it really is a reality because June is doing a play.'

June: 'I would have to get out for it.'

Johansson: 'They would never ever let her out.'

Squibb on the idea: 'Oh, sure, I would love it. Are you kidding? Saturday Night Live - I've watched it for years and years.'

So... will it actually happen?

Short version: not yet. Squibb, who is 95, is tied up with a play, and Johansson seems to think prying her loose for a week at 30 Rock would be a miracle. But the interest is real on both sides, which is the first box you need checked. If the scheduling gods smile, it is an easy win for the show.

SNL context, for the curious

• SNL is returning for Season 51. Weekend Update is still co-hosted by Michael Che and Colin Jost, who also happens to be Johansson's husband.
• Johansson has hosted SNL seven times, which makes her the most frequent female host in the show's history, per NBC.
• She has popped up on Weekend Update multiple times over the years.
• In a recent episode, Michael Che read a scripted apology to Johansson about an earlier joke from a past joke swap bit. Inside baseball, sure, but notable considering the family connection.

What they are really out promoting

'Eleanor the Great' is Johansson's first feature as a director, starring Squibb as Eleanor, a 94-year-old who relocates to New York after her best friend's death. A string of misunderstandings lands her in a Holocaust survivors' support group, where she strikes up an unexpected friendship with Nin, a 19-year-old journalism student played by Erin Kellyman.

So for now, the SNL tag-team is a wish list item. But if you want to help, Scarlett already gave the game plan: public plea.