Movie News

Exclusive: Will Ferrell to Direct?

Source:Edward Douglas
August 5, 2008


A few weeks back, ComingSoon.net spoke with director Adam McKay and he told us about the HBO show he's producing with Will Ferrell to star Danny McBride of The Foot Fist Way, which he's doing with that movie's co-creators Jody Hill and Ben Best. McKay mentioned that the title for the show was "Eastbound and Down" (which apparently is changing), but he didn't mention that both he and Ferrell would be directing episodes, something ComingSoon.net learned when we sat down with McBride to talk about his two new action-comedies, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder.

We wanted to find out a bit more about the show about the "epic downwards spiral" of a major league pitcher who loses his fastball from its star, but Ferrell making his directorial debut was the big shocker that McBride explained to us. "This is going to be the beginning for him. It's going to be exciting, but him and McKay are going to tag team it. When they suggested that to him, I think a lot of people would be nervous, like, 'Oh sh*t,' but working with Will on 'Land of the Lost,' that dude has f*cking insane instincts, and he knows his sh*t. Will would come up with ideas in the scenes, and we'd be like, 'God that's such a great way to do that' and I fully trust that he'll be able to come in and knock it out."

"We're going to do a lot of improv; we did a lot on the pilot," he continued, explaining the mindset of making the show, "We didn't have any interest in selling it. We pitched this to all the networks, and everyone put a bid in on it, but we didn't have any interest in making something that was twenty-four episodes or anything. We wanted to keep it small like the British comedies are, and actually on 'Tropic Thunder' talking to Steve Coogan about the show, his advice was to keep it small. That way you don't have to turn the comedy into a formula, you don't have to hire a big staff to translate what you do, and it just becomes stilted then. He said, "Keep it small, and just keep people wanting more." And that's really how we wanted to approach the TV show for HBO, just look at it as a chance for us to make a three-hour movie that's going to just unfold over this many episodes, and if people like it, maybe we'll get to make a sequel to it next season."

McBride also told us that he'd be writing parts on the show for some of the comic stars he's been working with in his last couple movies, which could include anyone from Ferrell to Ben Stiller to Steve Coogan to Jack Black and many others. Jody Hill directed the pilot and will do a couple more episodes, while McKay, Ferrell and Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green will be helming the rest.

In the meantime, you can see McBride in Seth Rogen's Pineapple Express opening everywhere tomorrow, August 6, and in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, opening a week later on August 13, and of course, check back tomorrow for our full interview with McBride.

COMMENTS (10)

Posted by:
Tobias Fünke
August 5, 2008
Danny McBride is keeping himself pretty busy lately...has anyone seen his movie The Foot Fist way? Is it any good?
Posted by:
OASVstar
August 5, 2008
woah.... not bad
Posted by:
Will Ferrell Ruins Everything
August 5, 2008
Who is this fool Danny McBride and what are his credentials?
Anyone who gushes this much about He Who Must Not Be Named as a great up-and-coming director should be vilified for all eternity.
And yeah, I'm sure EVERY network put a bid on this crap. I'll put a bid on it right now too- $3.79, the same price I bidded the Ajax detergent for on last Friday's episode of The Price Is Right.
Posted by:
asdfjkl
August 5, 2008
Danny McBride was in The Heartbreak Kid, which I think was very funny.
Posted by:
curlyheaded****
August 5, 2008
i think will would be a great director. i feel like he would make even the way the scenes are shot funnier. not quite sure how to explain it. you feel me lol
Posted by:
hwhat?
August 5, 2008
NO, danny mcbride pretty much made his debut in HOTROD which was hilarious
Posted by:
D Train
August 5, 2008
Yall are dumbf()cks. Danny McBride has been around for years. You want credentials? Learn how to use IMDB. Dumbass.
Posted by:
Winslow Leach
August 5, 2008
Yeah, I believe his first movie was the David Gordon Green masterpiece 'All the Real Girls.' And in regards to 'The Foot Fist Way', I thought it was pretty funny.
Posted by:
Will Ferrell Ruins Everything
August 5, 2008
Well if this guy is as funny as you all say he is, he needs to disconnect himself with the vacuum of humor and originality that is Will Ferrell. Or else he'll be doomed to dance around in a speed-o showing off his pale hairy belly in the remainder of all his films(that's always gold, Will! Keep it up!).
Posted by:
joe asylo
August 5, 2008
Farrell directing, i dont know to laught at that or laught with that. (yeah it doesn't make sense). but seriously it could be interesting.

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