After spending years imitating PresidentGeorge W. BushonSaturday Night Liveand on Broadway,Will Ferrellwill be taking on another President. The actor has signed on to star in and produceReagan, where he’ll play U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan. The script byMike Rosoliolanded on The Black List last year as one of the best unproduced screenplays.
The story is described as a “hilarious political satire” byVariety, followingRonald Reaganas he falls into dementia at the start of his second term, when an ambitious intern is tasked with convincing the commander in chief that he is an actor playing the president in a movie. The script got so much buzz on The Black List that the company put on a live reading in Hollywood last month, withJames Brolinreading the title role. The rest of the cast for that one-night-only live read includedJohn Cho,Lena Dunham,Nathan Fillion,Dennis Haysbert,Erinn Hayes,John Michael Higgins,Zachary Knighton,Chris ParnellandPaul Scheer, withCooper Thorntonserving as the narrator.
Will Ferrellis also producing through his Gary Sanchez Productions company, which he runs withAdam McKay. The project doesn’t currently have a director in place at this time, but it will be shopped around to studios very soon. It isn’t clear when production will begin, but withWill Ferrellattached to star, this project could move forward very quickly.
ReaganmarksMike Rosolio’s feature writing debut, although he has previously written for the TV seriesLemmingsandSean Saves the World. He has also written and acted in a number of short films before breaking through withReagan, which was the eighth highest-rated script onthe Black Listlast year. The script came in just behind other movies that are currently in development such asBubbles, aboutMichael Jackson’s chimp, and the Boston Marathon bombing movieStronger, which hasJake Gyllenhaalattached to star.
Will FerrellplayedGeorge W. Bushon NBC’sSaturday Night Livethroughout his Presidency, and later used that same iconic impression in the Broadway playYou’re Welcome America. He also played a political candidate in the 2012 comedyThe Campaign, alongsideZach Galifianakis. The comedian most recently starred inDaddy’s HomealongsideMark Wahlberg, who will both return for the sequelDaddy’s Home 2.
