A trip to the green is in full swing!
Today, Netflix announced Golf, an upcoming scripted series that will star Will Ferrell in his first TV comedy as a fictional golf legend. Also appearing in the show is Ramy Youssef.
Co-created by Ferrell, Youssef, and Josh Rabinowitz, Golf was given a 10-episode order. Youssef and Rabinowitz will be showrunners and executive producers for the series. Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Alix Taylor are executive producers for Gloria Sanchez Productions. Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue are executive producers for T-Street. Andy Campagna is an executive producer for Cairo Cowboy.
In the meantime, get your Ferrell fix with Talladega Nightsand Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, streaming on Netflix now, and look for the forthcoming documentary, Will & Harper, featuring Ferrell and directed by Josh Greenbaum...
Today, Netflix announced Golf, an upcoming scripted series that will star Will Ferrell in his first TV comedy as a fictional golf legend. Also appearing in the show is Ramy Youssef.
Co-created by Ferrell, Youssef, and Josh Rabinowitz, Golf was given a 10-episode order. Youssef and Rabinowitz will be showrunners and executive producers for the series. Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Alix Taylor are executive producers for Gloria Sanchez Productions. Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue are executive producers for T-Street. Andy Campagna is an executive producer for Cairo Cowboy.
In the meantime, get your Ferrell fix with Talladega Nightsand Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, streaming on Netflix now, and look for the forthcoming documentary, Will & Harper, featuring Ferrell and directed by Josh Greenbaum...
- 5/15/2024
- by Christopher Hudspeth
- Tudum - Netflix
This is not the documentary renaissance we hoped for. Despite its 2023 Oscar win for “Navalny,” CNN pulled back on non-fiction production. Non-fiction programming at Showtime Networks, which produced Oscar-nominated “Attica” in 2022, is no more.
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Destin Daniel Cretton, the filmmaker who co-wrote and directed the Marvel Studios movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and who executive produced American Born Chinese for Disney+, has launched Hisako, a new multimedia production company.
Cretton will run the banner with Jeyun Munford, formerly an executive at Universal and Lionsgate, who will act as the company’s president, running both film and television arms.
With a focus on empowering filmmakers and creatives, one of Hisako’s mission statements is a commitment to transforming the film and television landscape by highlighting marginalized stories and pushing them into the mainstream. The company is founded on the underlying conviction that storytelling has the power to unite audiences worldwide through shared emotions and experiences.
One of the first projects out of the gate for Hisako will be the big-screen live-action take on Naruto, one of the most popular mangas of all time.
Cretton will run the banner with Jeyun Munford, formerly an executive at Universal and Lionsgate, who will act as the company’s president, running both film and television arms.
With a focus on empowering filmmakers and creatives, one of Hisako’s mission statements is a commitment to transforming the film and television landscape by highlighting marginalized stories and pushing them into the mainstream. The company is founded on the underlying conviction that storytelling has the power to unite audiences worldwide through shared emotions and experiences.
One of the first projects out of the gate for Hisako will be the big-screen live-action take on Naruto, one of the most popular mangas of all time.
- 4/4/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Sugarcane has become the latest big documentary deal out of the Sundance Film Festival.
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
- 2/21/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Over 60 films came into this year’s Sundance Film Festival looking for buyers, but many of the key players on the indie film market already had movies premiering in the festival, with many of those among the most commercial and star-studded movies making their debuts.
Last year’s market was slow, especially for documentaries, but this year’s festival market was nothing but robust in 2024. We’re tracking everything that already has a home and will update this space throughout the month with every sale that comes in.
“Good One”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Director: India Donaldson
Buyer: Metrograph Pictures
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy
Release Plans: Theatrical in Summer 2024
Buzz: India Donaldson’s “Good One” will be the first title acquired by Metrograph Pictures, as the company known for its film restorations and SVOD platform is now getting into theatrical distribution. And they picked a good one too.
Last year’s market was slow, especially for documentaries, but this year’s festival market was nothing but robust in 2024. We’re tracking everything that already has a home and will update this space throughout the month with every sale that comes in.
“Good One”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Director: India Donaldson
Buyer: Metrograph Pictures
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy
Release Plans: Theatrical in Summer 2024
Buzz: India Donaldson’s “Good One” will be the first title acquired by Metrograph Pictures, as the company known for its film restorations and SVOD platform is now getting into theatrical distribution. And they picked a good one too.
- 2/13/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
When comedian and actor Will Farrell learned that his longtime friend and onetime Saturday Night Live (SNL) head writer Harper Steele had come out as a trans woman at the age of 61, he, like most of us on the outside looking in, had questions. As a close, dedicated friend, however, Farrell wanted to be as respectful as possible, putting compassion and empathy first and his own, possibly unresolved feelings second (or last). To that end, Farrell suggested a 17-day, coast-to-coast road trip documented by Josh Greenbaum. The perfectly titled result, Will & Harper, follows Farrell and Steele from the first, meaningful days when Farrell received a life- and friendship-changing email where...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/7/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Harper Steele is, with no exaggeration, one of my favorite comedy writers to ever do it. Not only did she write on "Saturday Night Live" from 1995-2015, the years when I was developing my own sense of humor, but she's also behind the Lifetime film "A Deadly Adoption" and the Academy Award-nominated Netflix flick, "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga." She was also a writer on the "Doug" episode "Doug's Cool Shoes," which has some of the best visual joke-telling of the animated series' first season. This is to say that Steele has been formative in shaping my ability to find humor in the world around me.
Over the years, Steele has become best friends with Will Ferrell, arguably one of the most recognizable comedic actors in the world. Ferrell and Steele are frequent collaborators, and their latest project is "Will & Harper," a documentary about the pair...
Over the years, Steele has become best friends with Will Ferrell, arguably one of the most recognizable comedic actors in the world. Ferrell and Steele are frequent collaborators, and their latest project is "Will & Harper," a documentary about the pair...
- 2/5/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Will & Harper sees Will Ferrell take a road trip with his friend of 30 years, who’s coming out as a trans woman.
Among the films making their debut at the Sundance Film Festival early next year is a fresh project starring Will Ferrell. Nothing unusual there, perhaps. Only this time, Ferrell is co-starring in a new documentary film, that takes him and his long-time friend on something of a road trip.
Going by the name Will & Harper, the starting point for the feature is Will Ferrell discovering that his friend of three decades is coming out as a trans woman.
They take the next logical step: a road trip across America, which has been captured on film. Josh Greenbaum has produced and directed the documentary, which is described in the official Sundance listing as follows…
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman,...
Among the films making their debut at the Sundance Film Festival early next year is a fresh project starring Will Ferrell. Nothing unusual there, perhaps. Only this time, Ferrell is co-starring in a new documentary film, that takes him and his long-time friend on something of a road trip.
Going by the name Will & Harper, the starting point for the feature is Will Ferrell discovering that his friend of three decades is coming out as a trans woman.
They take the next logical step: a road trip across America, which has been captured on film. Josh Greenbaum has produced and directed the documentary, which is described in the official Sundance listing as follows…
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Roughly 30 years ago, Will Ferrell was brought onto the cast of Saturday Night Live around the same time as Harper Steele was hired as a writer. The two became close collaborators, with Steele writing many of Ferrell’s most iconic characters and sketches. Their professional and creative partnership evolved into a decades-long friendship, and when Ferrell found out his dear friend was coming out as a trans woman, the two embarked on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage in their relationship. And thus, the story of Will & Harper begins.
Directed by Josh Greenbaum, the new documentary film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” filmmakers told Netflix. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance — that we hope can help shift the culture.”
Check...
Directed by Josh Greenbaum, the new documentary film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” filmmakers told Netflix. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance — that we hope can help shift the culture.”
Check...
- 2/1/2024
- by Amanda Richards
- Tudum - Netflix
Netflix has acquired Sundance documentary Will & Harper, in which Will Ferrell embarks on a road trip with his longtime friend Harper who is coming out as a trans woman.
Josh Greenbaum’s film played in Premieres and earned a strong reception at its world premiere at The Eccles Theatre.
Ferrell produced with Rafael Marmor, Jessica Elbaum, Greenbaum, and Christopher Leggett
Netflix previously acquired It’s What’s Inside in the marquee deal of the festival at a reported $17m, as well as Daughters, and Ibelin.
More to follow…...
Josh Greenbaum’s film played in Premieres and earned a strong reception at its world premiere at The Eccles Theatre.
Ferrell produced with Rafael Marmor, Jessica Elbaum, Greenbaum, and Christopher Leggett
Netflix previously acquired It’s What’s Inside in the marquee deal of the festival at a reported $17m, as well as Daughters, and Ibelin.
More to follow…...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Will & Harper,” a heartfelt and heartbreaking documentary about Will Ferrell’s cross-country road trip with his best friend Harper Steele, who recently came out as transgender, sold to Netflix after its Sundance Film Festival debut. Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, but “Will & Harper” was drawing interest from several buyers.
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
- 2/1/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Will & Harper, the doc about friends Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, has landed at Netflix in a massive eight figure deal.
The doc is about friends re-connecting after a major life event, and those friends just happen to be Ferrell and former Saturday Night Live head writer Steele. Following Steele coming out as a trans woman, the duo come together for a cross-country trip where they talk in-depth about their friendship and the experience of being trans in America.
Josh Greenbaum (Strays, Barb & Star Go to the Vista Del Mar) directs the doc that see Ferrell and Steele travel from New York to Los Angeles, stopping in dive bars, Walmart parking lots, random roadside attractions, and national parks along the way. During the trip, they talk to their famous friends, including Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Seth Meyers.
The Sundance premiere of the film included multiple standing ovations.
The doc is about friends re-connecting after a major life event, and those friends just happen to be Ferrell and former Saturday Night Live head writer Steele. Following Steele coming out as a trans woman, the duo come together for a cross-country trip where they talk in-depth about their friendship and the experience of being trans in America.
Josh Greenbaum (Strays, Barb & Star Go to the Vista Del Mar) directs the doc that see Ferrell and Steele travel from New York to Los Angeles, stopping in dive bars, Walmart parking lots, random roadside attractions, and national parks along the way. During the trip, they talk to their famous friends, including Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Seth Meyers.
The Sundance premiere of the film included multiple standing ovations.
- 2/1/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The last of the Sundance buzz titles has landed. Netflix closed an 8-figure deal for Will & Harper, the documentary in which Will Ferrell takes a road trip with his lifelong pal Harper Steele after the latter transitioned. Sources said deal was 8-figures.
In the Josh Greenbaum-directed docu, Ferrell finds out his close friend of three decades came out as a trans woman. Steele is a longtime comedy writer who helped Ferrell gain the confidence for his outlandish comedy on SNL and film comedy hits. All this was completely new territory for Ferrell, as it is for many people who believe in tolerance but just don’t understand. What a great opportunity to have the amiable Ferrell take a cross country road trip with his buddy, and ask every question and process this new stage of their relationship in a portrait of friendship, transition and America.
Seems like a perfect...
In the Josh Greenbaum-directed docu, Ferrell finds out his close friend of three decades came out as a trans woman. Steele is a longtime comedy writer who helped Ferrell gain the confidence for his outlandish comedy on SNL and film comedy hits. All this was completely new territory for Ferrell, as it is for many people who believe in tolerance but just don’t understand. What a great opportunity to have the amiable Ferrell take a cross country road trip with his buddy, and ask every question and process this new stage of their relationship in a portrait of friendship, transition and America.
Seems like a perfect...
- 2/1/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
On a busy Saturday for two of the biggest Sundance documentaries Netflix confirmed it had picked up worldwide rights to Skywalkers: A Love Story, while Warner Bros was in exclusive negotiations for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Plot: Will Ferrell learns that one of his closest friends and collaborators is now trans. Unsure of the ground rules in the next stage of their relationship, the two drive from New York to Los Angeles together and reconnect.
Review: Will & Harper is a gentle, often hilarious documentary about two friends reconnecting after one comes out as trans. The fact that one of the friends is Will Ferrell made it a must-see for me at Sundance. But, it has a lot of resonance beyond its showbiz aspects, with it a nuanced portrait of a life in transition. It starts with essentially being about how the world views Ferrell’s friend, Harper, but eventually, it becomes more about how she views herself.
It’s a complex question because Harper Steele made her transition later in life, with her being sixty-one as the movie starts. She’s interesting, having been the...
Review: Will & Harper is a gentle, often hilarious documentary about two friends reconnecting after one comes out as trans. The fact that one of the friends is Will Ferrell made it a must-see for me at Sundance. But, it has a lot of resonance beyond its showbiz aspects, with it a nuanced portrait of a life in transition. It starts with essentially being about how the world views Ferrell’s friend, Harper, but eventually, it becomes more about how she views herself.
It’s a complex question because Harper Steele made her transition later in life, with her being sixty-one as the movie starts. She’s interesting, having been the...
- 1/25/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In the latest high-profile acquisition at Sundance Neon is understood to have acquired worldwide rights to Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence starring Lucy Liu.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sundance film festival: The actor goes on a cross-country trip with an old friend who has transitioned in a crowd-pleasing winner that will prove illuminating for many
The crowd-pleasing gloss of the slickly made documentary Will & Harper, premiering to the kind of intense enthusiasm most market titles here would dream of, is both blessing and curse. The film, which follows Will Ferrell as he goes on a road trip with an old SNL friend who has recently transitioned, is told on a grand scale, looking like a narrative studio movie and punctuated with celebrity cameos, and aims to add dimension to an experience most mainstream audiences still know very little about. It’s effective too, working as both buddy comedy and much-needed act of public service.
But sometimes the lines between fact and fiction get a little blurry, those involved with the film a little too self-aware of their wide audience,...
The crowd-pleasing gloss of the slickly made documentary Will & Harper, premiering to the kind of intense enthusiasm most market titles here would dream of, is both blessing and curse. The film, which follows Will Ferrell as he goes on a road trip with an old SNL friend who has recently transitioned, is told on a grand scale, looking like a narrative studio movie and punctuated with celebrity cameos, and aims to add dimension to an experience most mainstream audiences still know very little about. It’s effective too, working as both buddy comedy and much-needed act of public service.
But sometimes the lines between fact and fiction get a little blurry, those involved with the film a little too self-aware of their wide audience,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City, Utah
- The Guardian - Film News
Long before she transitioned, Harper Steele was a writer at Saturday Night Live. She was hired in 1995, the same week that a performer named Will Ferrell joined the cast. Unlike his fellow Groundlings Chris Kattan and Cheri Oteri, who’d also been recruited from the L.A.-based improv group to join SNL that season, Ferrell had a hard time finding his groove right away. No one quite knew how to use this tall comedian with the deadpan stare and an ability to go from 1 to 1,000 on the rage scale in seconds flat.
- 1/23/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
When former SNL writer Harper Steele came out as trans, she told her friends and family via email. “I’m old now,” the letter said, “I’ll be transitioning to live as a woman.” In addition to announcing her plans, she also shared some of her anxieties about the process. Her fear was not about transitioning, but that she might lose some people that she loved.
Steele and her close friend Will Ferrell read the email at the top of their endearing documentary, Will & Harper. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) chronicles a 16-day road trip the two friends take across America to process Steele’s transition, reflect on their friendship and consider what it means to be trans in America. On that last subject, the doc is well-meaning but shaky; traveling through some of the most hostile towns in the country...
Steele and her close friend Will Ferrell read the email at the top of their endearing documentary, Will & Harper. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) chronicles a 16-day road trip the two friends take across America to process Steele’s transition, reflect on their friendship and consider what it means to be trans in America. On that last subject, the doc is well-meaning but shaky; traveling through some of the most hostile towns in the country...
- 1/23/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the IndieWire team is endeavoring to take you into the heart of the festival experience, thanks to a series of rolling roundups that aim to synthesize each day, all the action, most of the drama, and the stuff everyone is talking about, in Park City and beyond.
Day Five
We’ll admit it: Day 5 at Sundance started on a bit of a slower note, at least over at IndieWire Editorial Condo No. 2, whose inhabitants were still processing both our (In)Famous Chili Party and/or Aaron Schimberg’s wild “A Different Man.” The first day after the festival’s opening weekend tends to spell a slower vibe, with many leaving after the first flush of premieres and parties, and Park City easing, ever so slowly, back into a more normal pace.
Though I’d already seen Richard Linklater’s sexy action comedy “Hit Man...
Day Five
We’ll admit it: Day 5 at Sundance started on a bit of a slower note, at least over at IndieWire Editorial Condo No. 2, whose inhabitants were still processing both our (In)Famous Chili Party and/or Aaron Schimberg’s wild “A Different Man.” The first day after the festival’s opening weekend tends to spell a slower vibe, with many leaving after the first flush of premieres and parties, and Park City easing, ever so slowly, back into a more normal pace.
Though I’d already seen Richard Linklater’s sexy action comedy “Hit Man...
- 1/23/2024
- by Kate Erbland, Ryan Lattanzio and Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Will Ferrell has some pretty cool friends. That shouldn’t come as any kind of surprise to his fans. He appeared on “Saturday Night Live” for seven seasons and still keeps in touch with co-stars like Seth Meyers, Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig. Less familiar, but no less fascinating, is former “SNL” writer Harper Steele, who befriended Ferrell when he first joined the show, believing in the crazy cut-up when others were still skeptical of his talent.
Structured as an on-camera road trip between two longtime friends, fueled by laughs and tears and the occasional “Borat”-style stunt, “Will & Harper” gives the general public a chance to meet this incredible woman. Technically, Ferrell is meeting her for the first time, too, since Steele spent the first six decades of her life as a man. After receiving a long, vulnerable coming-out email from Steele describing her decision to transition at...
Structured as an on-camera road trip between two longtime friends, fueled by laughs and tears and the occasional “Borat”-style stunt, “Will & Harper” gives the general public a chance to meet this incredible woman. Technically, Ferrell is meeting her for the first time, too, since Steele spent the first six decades of her life as a man. After receiving a long, vulnerable coming-out email from Steele describing her decision to transition at...
- 1/23/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Unlike Cannes and Venice, Sundance isn’t a film festival that inspires too many standing ovations. But moviegoers at the Eccles Theatre were moved (more than once!) to stand up and applaud after the premiere of “Will & Harper,” a funny, heartbreaking and poignant documentary about Will Ferrell taking a road trip with his longtime friend, Harper Steele, who transitioned at 61.
“Look at this! And this is for a documentary,” Ferrell said as he greeted the packed house in Park City on Monday night. “Wow! If we were going to be at Sundance, we thought it would be at a 10 a.m. screening in someone’s garage.”
“Will & Harper” chronicles the duo over 17 days as they drive from New York to California, making pit stops at basketball games, dive bars, “swanky” Las Vegas restaurants and other places where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable since she came out as...
“Look at this! And this is for a documentary,” Ferrell said as he greeted the packed house in Park City on Monday night. “Wow! If we were going to be at Sundance, we thought it would be at a 10 a.m. screening in someone’s garage.”
“Will & Harper” chronicles the duo over 17 days as they drive from New York to California, making pit stops at basketball games, dive bars, “swanky” Las Vegas restaurants and other places where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable since she came out as...
- 1/23/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Director Josh Greenbaum was known as a documentary filmmaker before he shifted gears for “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” and with “Will & Harper” — a nonfiction buddy comedy in which Will Ferrell drives across the country with a beloved colleague — he returns to his nonfiction roots in order to confront a series of questions that seem as far from his comfort zone as they are from Ferrell’s. Questions like: How does a straight cis male of a certain age come to terms with the fact that one of his oldest friends has just come out as trans? And what will happen to their friendship when said trans woman refuses to stop for donuts?.
Of course, the more important character in this story is the much less famous — if equally titular — Harper Steele, the Emmy-winning “SNL” senior writer behind such gonzo Ferrell efforts as “EuroVision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Of course, the more important character in this story is the much less famous — if equally titular — Harper Steele, the Emmy-winning “SNL” senior writer behind such gonzo Ferrell efforts as “EuroVision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
- 1/23/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Indiewire
Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Will Ferrell and longtime friend Harper Steele discussed the origins of their road-trip documentary Will & Harper at The Hollywood Reporter’s studio during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Ferrell and Steele have been best friends for 30 years and worked together at Saturday Night Live when they were both launching their Hollywood careers in comedy. Their new film documents the pair taking a cross-country road trip together following Steele coming out as a trans woman.
“The conception of the whole discussion, for some reason in my head, was a documentary,” Ferrell said. “Of course, I made it clear to Harper, ‘I don’t want to exploit our friendship, but this could, I think, be just a wonderful way for us to explore this topic. Obviously, for me to learn, ask all the questions that I have about what you’re going through and who you are, have you changed?'”
He continued,...
Ferrell and Steele have been best friends for 30 years and worked together at Saturday Night Live when they were both launching their Hollywood careers in comedy. Their new film documents the pair taking a cross-country road trip together following Steele coming out as a trans woman.
“The conception of the whole discussion, for some reason in my head, was a documentary,” Ferrell said. “Of course, I made it clear to Harper, ‘I don’t want to exploit our friendship, but this could, I think, be just a wonderful way for us to explore this topic. Obviously, for me to learn, ask all the questions that I have about what you’re going through and who you are, have you changed?'”
He continued,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Will Ferrell touched down at the Sundance Film Festival to world premiere the new documentary “Will & Harper,” which centers on the relationship between the beloved comedian and his best friend Harper Steele as they take a road trip. The two met during their days on “Saturday Night Live,” which Harper wrote for from 1995 to 2008. Harper came out as transgender in 2022.
“It was three summers ago in which Harper emailed a lot of her close friends with the headline: ‘Here’s a Weird One,'” Ferrell said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “She went on to explain she was going to transition and we were all of course excited to hear the news and surprised to hear the news. All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…but that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?...
“It was three summers ago in which Harper emailed a lot of her close friends with the headline: ‘Here’s a Weird One,'” Ferrell said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “She went on to explain she was going to transition and we were all of course excited to hear the news and surprised to hear the news. All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…but that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?...
- 1/22/2024
- by Zack Sharf and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary lovers are digesting the announcement of the Sundance nonfiction lineup, a slate of films certain to factor in awards conversation into next Oscar season.
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
- 12/8/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
After the massive success of the "Wayne's World" movies, studios were eager to capitalize on the popularity of "Saturday Night Live" cast member Mike Myers and his ability to create truly memorable characters. While womanizing James Bond spoof that is Austin Powers wasn't something Myers brought to "SNL" like the "Wayne's World" sketches, the shagadelic spoy blew up in pop culture pretty quickly.
"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" made him a household name in 1997, complete with a massive marketing campaign and merchandise ranging from Austin Powers Halloween costumes to vintage tin lunchboxes. For a few short years, it seemed like Hollywood got swept up in Powers-mania, as two sequels were released in fairly quick succession. But after "Austin Powers in Goldmember" in 2002, the character pretty much disappeared from the pop culture consciousness. Rumors of a fourth film have circulated for years, with the most recent ones popping up just...
"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" made him a household name in 1997, complete with a massive marketing campaign and merchandise ranging from Austin Powers Halloween costumes to vintage tin lunchboxes. For a few short years, it seemed like Hollywood got swept up in Powers-mania, as two sequels were released in fairly quick succession. But after "Austin Powers in Goldmember" in 2002, the character pretty much disappeared from the pop culture consciousness. Rumors of a fourth film have circulated for years, with the most recent ones popping up just...
- 11/18/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Features the voices of: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Brett Gelman, Jamie Demetriou, Sofia Vergara | Written by Dan Perrault | Directed by Josh Greenbaum
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), this inspired comedy takes the previously family-friendly talking dog movie genre and turns it into an outrageously filthy, frequently gasp-inducing, R-rated laugh riot. It just might be the funniest film of the year.
Will Ferrell (sounding a lot like Paul Rudd) voices Reggie, a hopelessly naïve Border Terrier who can’t see that his owner, Doug (Will Forte) is a hateful, selfish loser who despises him. One day, Doug drives Reggie several miles away and abandons him, though Reggie still thinks they are playing their favourite game, “Fetch and f**k”, so called because that’s what Doug yells, every time Reggie finds his way home again.
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), this inspired comedy takes the previously family-friendly talking dog movie genre and turns it into an outrageously filthy, frequently gasp-inducing, R-rated laugh riot. It just might be the funniest film of the year.
Will Ferrell (sounding a lot like Paul Rudd) voices Reggie, a hopelessly naïve Border Terrier who can’t see that his owner, Doug (Will Forte) is a hateful, selfish loser who despises him. One day, Doug drives Reggie several miles away and abandons him, though Reggie still thinks they are playing their favourite game, “Fetch and f**k”, so called because that’s what Doug yells, every time Reggie finds his way home again.
- 11/16/2023
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
"Strays", the new dog-characters, live-action comedy feature, directed by Josh Greenbaum, stars Will Ferrell, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Will Forte and Jamie Foxx, streaming October 6, 2023 on Peacock:
“…an abandoned dog named 'Reggie' teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner..."
Cast includes Ferrell as the voice of 'Reggie', the abandoned dog, Foxx as the voice of 'Bug', one of the stray dogs, Forte as 'Doug', Reggie's former owner, Fisher as the voice of 'Maggie', one of the stray dogs and Randall Park is 'Hunter', one of the stray dogs.
Cast also includes Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Jamie Demetriou, Brett Gelman and Sofía Vergara.
Click the images to enlarge...
“…an abandoned dog named 'Reggie' teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner..."
Cast includes Ferrell as the voice of 'Reggie', the abandoned dog, Foxx as the voice of 'Bug', one of the stray dogs, Forte as 'Doug', Reggie's former owner, Fisher as the voice of 'Maggie', one of the stray dogs and Randall Park is 'Hunter', one of the stray dogs.
Cast also includes Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Jamie Demetriou, Brett Gelman and Sofía Vergara.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 9/29/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
It's not easy being an R-rated comedy in 2023. After enjoying some modest success with the horror-flavored "Cocaine Bear," Universal saw its "Dracula" spin-off "Renfield" flounder at the box office earlier this year. The studio's latest adult-oriented chucklefest, "Strays," didn't fare much better upon its theatrical release in August either. Opening to lukewarm responses, the raunchy dog-com has struggled to make a dent financially.
Another major factor working against "Strays" was timing. Since the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has continued to dig its heels in rather than address the existential crisis currently faced by the striking actors' and writers' guilds, that means the "Strays" cast has been unable to promote the film. That includes comedic superstars like Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, who lend their voices to the movie's misbehaving mutts and could've easily gotten more people to turn out for the film, had they been able to make the press rounds.
Another major factor working against "Strays" was timing. Since the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has continued to dig its heels in rather than address the existential crisis currently faced by the striking actors' and writers' guilds, that means the "Strays" cast has been unable to promote the film. That includes comedic superstars like Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, who lend their voices to the movie's misbehaving mutts and could've easily gotten more people to turn out for the film, had they been able to make the press rounds.
- 9/5/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dome Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #355:Making R-rated comedy ‘Strays’ starring Will Ferrell with...
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dome Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #355:Making R-rated comedy ‘Strays’ starring Will Ferrell with...
- 9/4/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Josh Greenbaum incorporated footage of actual dogs into the making of 'Strays'.The director has helmed the new comedy movie that tells the story of abandoned pooch Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his attempts to get revenge on his abusive former owner Doug (Will Forte) and made sure that footage of real canines was heavily featured in the project.Speaking to Collider, Josh said: "I would say 95 per cent of what you just watched is all real dogs, which was really important to me."Obviously, any time it was unsafe for a dog to do anything, it was like, 'Alright, we're gonna go full CG', but for me, I really wanted to make sure at the start that you felt that you were watching real dogs."Josh feels that audiences are aware of the way dogs behave and opted against using CGI trickery for the flick – which also features...
- 8/27/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Strays is a comedy adventure film directed by Josh Greenbaum from a screenplay by Dan Perrault. The R-rated comedy movie follows the adventures of Reggie, a gullible dog who is abandoned on the mean city streets by his a**hole owner. Then, Reggie decides to take revenge by biting his owner’s penis after joining a group of strays. Strays has a brilliant cast of voice actors including Will Ferrell, Jamie Fox, and Isla Fisher. So, if you loved Strays here are some great comedy movies you could watch next.
Sausage Party (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures
Synopsis: In this R-rated CG-animated movie, one sausage leads a group of supermarket products on a quest to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they become chosen to leave the grocery store. The film features the vocal talents of some of today’s best comedy stars – Seth Rogen,...
Sausage Party (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures
Synopsis: In this R-rated CG-animated movie, one sausage leads a group of supermarket products on a quest to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they become chosen to leave the grocery store. The film features the vocal talents of some of today’s best comedy stars – Seth Rogen,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
"Strays" “Strays” has Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Sofia Vergara, Josh Gad and Will Ferrell voicing various dogs in this raunchy comedy from director Josh Greenbaum (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”) from a script written by Dan Perrault. Should you do tricks for this film? (See review below)
The post “Strays” & “Blue Beetle” Movie Reviews appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
The post “Strays” & “Blue Beetle” Movie Reviews appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
- 8/23/2023
- by manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
“Strays” might be the most unexpectedly uproarious comedy of the year. And it’s even more satisfying because the words “R-rated dog comedy” probably don’t instill much hope.
And yet, here we are.
It starts to make more sense when you consider that the director behind the project is Josh Greenbaum, who directed 2021’s hilarious “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar”. And because it stars Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx as the voice of two dogs who are on a quest (along with their dog pals voiced by Randall Park and Ilsa Fisher) to bring violent revenge to Ferrell’s former owner (Will Forte).
As to how Greenbaum wound up with “Strays,” which is in theaters now, he was sent a pitch email with pretty much the logline above and a “Gif of a small dog humping a larger dog,” which shot it to the top of his reading list.
And yet, here we are.
It starts to make more sense when you consider that the director behind the project is Josh Greenbaum, who directed 2021’s hilarious “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar”. And because it stars Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx as the voice of two dogs who are on a quest (along with their dog pals voiced by Randall Park and Ilsa Fisher) to bring violent revenge to Ferrell’s former owner (Will Forte).
As to how Greenbaum wound up with “Strays,” which is in theaters now, he was sent a pitch email with pretty much the logline above and a “Gif of a small dog humping a larger dog,” which shot it to the top of his reading list.
- 8/22/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Strays", the new dog-characters, live-action comedy feature, directed by Josh Greenbaum, stars Will Ferrell, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Will Forte and Jamie Foxx, now playing in theaters:
“…an abandoned dog named 'Reggie' teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner..."
Cast includes Ferrell as the voice of 'Reggie', the abandoned dog, Foxx as the voice of 'Bug', one of the stray dogs, Forte as 'Doug', Reggie's former owner, Fisher as the voice of 'Maggie', one of the stray dogs and Randall Park is 'Hunter', one of the stray dogs.
Cast also includes Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Jamie Demetriou, Brett Gelman and Sofía Vergara.
Click the images to enlarge...
“…an abandoned dog named 'Reggie' teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner..."
Cast includes Ferrell as the voice of 'Reggie', the abandoned dog, Foxx as the voice of 'Bug', one of the stray dogs, Forte as 'Doug', Reggie's former owner, Fisher as the voice of 'Maggie', one of the stray dogs and Randall Park is 'Hunter', one of the stray dogs.
Cast also includes Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Jamie Demetriou, Brett Gelman and Sofía Vergara.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/22/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Chicago – “Strays” is a film that features a cast full of legitimately funny people, but this Hard-r-Rated talking dog movie poops out long before the final credits roll. The film tries to have heart, but is too busy making labored poo-poo jokes to give the schmaltz much gusto.
Rating: 1.5/5.0
Will Ferrell voices Reggie, a scruffy Benji-like dog who is abandoned by his bong loving owner (Will Forte) in a city far from home. He meets up with a stray Boston Terrier (Jaimie Foxx), who shows the new dog the ropes of life on the streets. They’re joined by Australian Shepherd (Isla Fisher) and Great Dane (Randall Park) who have their own emotional issues. The pooches embark on a journey to get Reggie back to his owner and take revenge.
”Strays” in theaters since August 18th. Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Rob Riggle,...
Rating: 1.5/5.0
Will Ferrell voices Reggie, a scruffy Benji-like dog who is abandoned by his bong loving owner (Will Forte) in a city far from home. He meets up with a stray Boston Terrier (Jaimie Foxx), who shows the new dog the ropes of life on the streets. They’re joined by Australian Shepherd (Isla Fisher) and Great Dane (Randall Park) who have their own emotional issues. The pooches embark on a journey to get Reggie back to his owner and take revenge.
”Strays” in theaters since August 18th. Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Rob Riggle,...
- 8/20/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
It's a dog's life for R-rated comedies at the box office these days, and "Strays" is the latest unlucky puppy to learn that lesson. Directed by Josh Greenbaum and featuring the voices of Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, the raunchy talking-animal adventure is heading for an estimated opening weekend of $8.5 million (via The Hollywood Reporter), which will leave it scrapping for fourth place against "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," now in its third weekend.
"Strays" was already starting off on the back foot, since R-rated comedies have become one of the toughest genres to succeed with at the box office. Even with the star power of Jennifer Lawrence onboard, Sony's "No Hard Feelings" wrapped its theatrical run with just $86 million worldwide, which might have turned a profit were it not for the movie's $45 million production budget. Adele Lim's "Joy Ride" was made for a more conservative budget of around $20 million,...
"Strays" was already starting off on the back foot, since R-rated comedies have become one of the toughest genres to succeed with at the box office. Even with the star power of Jennifer Lawrence onboard, Sony's "No Hard Feelings" wrapped its theatrical run with just $86 million worldwide, which might have turned a profit were it not for the movie's $45 million production budget. Adele Lim's "Joy Ride" was made for a more conservative budget of around $20 million,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
“Strays” is a raunchy, R-rated comedy about a border terrier named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) who is trying to make his way back to his owner Doug (Will Forte). Along the way, he befriends several other canine companions, including the Boston terrier Bug (Jamie Foxx), Australian shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher) and a Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park).
Together, these strays embark on a journey where they encounter vicious predators, animal control officers and even some mind-altering mushrooms.
Click through to find out who voices whom in Josh Greenbaum’s comedy, out in theaters August 18.
Reggie (Will Ferrell), a loyal pet, in “Strays”
Reggie (Will Ferrell)
Reggie is a curious canine who is far more loyal to his owner Doug than Doug is to him.
Ferrell is known for his run on “Saturday Night Live” and a slew of comedies, including “Elf,” “Anchorman” and “Blades of Glory.”
Bug (Jamie Foxx), a street-smart stray,...
Together, these strays embark on a journey where they encounter vicious predators, animal control officers and even some mind-altering mushrooms.
Click through to find out who voices whom in Josh Greenbaum’s comedy, out in theaters August 18.
Reggie (Will Ferrell), a loyal pet, in “Strays”
Reggie (Will Ferrell)
Reggie is a curious canine who is far more loyal to his owner Doug than Doug is to him.
Ferrell is known for his run on “Saturday Night Live” and a slew of comedies, including “Elf,” “Anchorman” and “Blades of Glory.”
Bug (Jamie Foxx), a street-smart stray,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
After four weekends of pink, the box office is going blue. Despite a muted opening, DC Studios’ “Blue Beetle” looks to dethrone fellow Warner Bros. release “Barbie” after the hot-pink comedy spent nearly a month atop domestic charts.
Debuting in 3,871 locations, the Ángel Manuel Soto-directed “Blue Beetle” earned $10 million on its opening day, a figure that includes $3.3 million from previews. It’s not a dazzling figure for the superhero entry, which had forecast a touchdown between $25 million and $33 million heading into the weekend. The film’s debut looks to fall behind that of this year’s earlier DC entry “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which debuted to $30.1 million before collapsing for a $57.6 million finish.
The “Shazam!” sequel was universally regarded as a disappointment — mediocre reviews, plus a final gross totaling roughly one third of the original’s — and it marked an inauspicious start for the last slate of DC Studios...
Debuting in 3,871 locations, the Ángel Manuel Soto-directed “Blue Beetle” earned $10 million on its opening day, a figure that includes $3.3 million from previews. It’s not a dazzling figure for the superhero entry, which had forecast a touchdown between $25 million and $33 million heading into the weekend. The film’s debut looks to fall behind that of this year’s earlier DC entry “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which debuted to $30.1 million before collapsing for a $57.6 million finish.
The “Shazam!” sequel was universally regarded as a disappointment — mediocre reviews, plus a final gross totaling roughly one third of the original’s — and it marked an inauspicious start for the last slate of DC Studios...
- 8/19/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Blue Beetle, Strays and Ahsoka.
Oceana’s Rock Under the Stars
Oceana hosted its fifth annual Rock Under the Stars event on Saturday with a special performance from Gladys Knight and featuring celebrity guests Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Mary Steenburgen, Sam Waterston, Sally Pressman, Ed Begley Jr. and Tommy Chong.
Keri Selig, Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless, Mary Steenburgen, Gladys Knight, Ted Danson and Oceana board president Keith Addis Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson
LA Regional Food Bank’s A Million Reasons Celebration
Ted Danson, Jeff Goldblum, Dylan McDermott, Mary Steenburgen and Sam Waterston supported the LA Regional Food Bank at an event on Sunday.
Sam Waterston, Emilie Livingston, Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenburgen, Ted Danson, Keith Addis, Dylan McDermott and Keri Selig
HamptonsFilm SummerDocs Joan Baez I Am...
Oceana’s Rock Under the Stars
Oceana hosted its fifth annual Rock Under the Stars event on Saturday with a special performance from Gladys Knight and featuring celebrity guests Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Mary Steenburgen, Sam Waterston, Sally Pressman, Ed Begley Jr. and Tommy Chong.
Keri Selig, Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless, Mary Steenburgen, Gladys Knight, Ted Danson and Oceana board president Keith Addis Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson
LA Regional Food Bank’s A Million Reasons Celebration
Ted Danson, Jeff Goldblum, Dylan McDermott, Mary Steenburgen and Sam Waterston supported the LA Regional Food Bank at an event on Sunday.
Sam Waterston, Emilie Livingston, Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenburgen, Ted Danson, Keith Addis, Dylan McDermott and Keri Selig
HamptonsFilm SummerDocs Joan Baez I Am...
- 8/18/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Strays director Josh Greenbaum has waited four-plus years for today.
In 2019, when Greenbaum started filming Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, he operated under the belief that his feature directorial debut would be a traditional theatrical release. But 2020 had other plans, as Barb and Star became one of many films to go from theatrical to premium VOD or streaming due to the pandemic. But then the impossible happened. The high jinks of Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo and Jamie Dornan caught lightning in a bottle, especially Dornan’s beachside serenade to a squabble of seagulls, and the comedy cut through the saturated home market to become a cult hit.
Despite his initial disappointment, Greenbaum soon found himself on a Zoom opposite Guillermo del Toro, who generously agreed to host Barb and Star’s Directors Guild of America Q&a. So the fact that Greenbaum’s debut film was still...
In 2019, when Greenbaum started filming Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, he operated under the belief that his feature directorial debut would be a traditional theatrical release. But 2020 had other plans, as Barb and Star became one of many films to go from theatrical to premium VOD or streaming due to the pandemic. But then the impossible happened. The high jinks of Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo and Jamie Dornan caught lightning in a bottle, especially Dornan’s beachside serenade to a squabble of seagulls, and the comedy cut through the saturated home market to become a cult hit.
Despite his initial disappointment, Greenbaum soon found himself on a Zoom opposite Guillermo del Toro, who generously agreed to host Barb and Star’s Directors Guild of America Q&a. So the fact that Greenbaum’s debut film was still...
- 8/18/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Features the voices of: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Brett Gelman, Jamie Demetriou, Sofia Vergara | Written by Dan Perrault | Directed by Josh Greenbaum
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), this inspired comedy takes the previously family-friendly talking dog movie genre and turns it into an outrageously filthy, frequently gasp-inducing, R-rated laugh riot. It just might be the funniest film of the year.
Will Ferrell (sounding a lot like Paul Rudd) voices Reggie, a hopelessly naïve Border Terrier who can’t see that his owner, Doug (Will Forte) is a hateful, selfish loser who despises him. One day, Doug drives Reggie several miles away and abandons him, though Reggie still thinks they are playing their favourite game, “Fetch and f**k”, so called because that’s what Doug yells, every time Reggie finds his way home again.
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), this inspired comedy takes the previously family-friendly talking dog movie genre and turns it into an outrageously filthy, frequently gasp-inducing, R-rated laugh riot. It just might be the funniest film of the year.
Will Ferrell (sounding a lot like Paul Rudd) voices Reggie, a hopelessly naïve Border Terrier who can’t see that his owner, Doug (Will Forte) is a hateful, selfish loser who despises him. One day, Doug drives Reggie several miles away and abandons him, though Reggie still thinks they are playing their favourite game, “Fetch and f**k”, so called because that’s what Doug yells, every time Reggie finds his way home again.
- 8/18/2023
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
Producer Erik Feig could have been describing “SuperBad” or “Good Boys” when he outlined his new movie to Universal, pitching them on backing his mid-budget film with a detailed slideshow that included everything from ideas for TikTok promotions to potential merchandising. “This is a raunchy, cinematic comedy with heart, about finding your people and your purpose,” a slideshow for the Picturestart founder’s new project, “Strays,” read. Except, in this case, there’s a twist. “It just happens to star a pack of dogs.”
It’s getting harder and harder to convince studios to take the plunge when it comes to movies that aren’t based on toys or comic books. That’s something Feig knows all too well, having previously served as the head of Lionsgate’s film division.
“It’s always a challenge to get a ‘yes,'” Feig says. “It’s a hard job and there’s...
It’s getting harder and harder to convince studios to take the plunge when it comes to movies that aren’t based on toys or comic books. That’s something Feig knows all too well, having previously served as the head of Lionsgate’s film division.
“It’s always a challenge to get a ‘yes,'” Feig says. “It’s a hard job and there’s...
- 8/18/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Curzon is re-releasing Lars von Trier’s ‘The Idiots’.
Warner Bros’ superhero sci-fi Blue Beetle and Universal’s canine comedy Strays head the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office, in a post-Barbenheimer test of how the market can handle two wide studio releases.
Opening in 556 cinemas, Blue Beetle is the third feature from Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto. In the film, after an alien scarab chooses a teenager to be its symbiotic host, the youngster becomes the eponymous superhero with an unpredictable suit of armour.
Xolo Mariduena leads the cast, which also includes Bruna Marquezine, Damian Alcazar, George Lopez and Adriana Barraza.
Warner Bros’ superhero sci-fi Blue Beetle and Universal’s canine comedy Strays head the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office, in a post-Barbenheimer test of how the market can handle two wide studio releases.
Opening in 556 cinemas, Blue Beetle is the third feature from Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto. In the film, after an alien scarab chooses a teenager to be its symbiotic host, the youngster becomes the eponymous superhero with an unpredictable suit of armour.
Xolo Mariduena leads the cast, which also includes Bruna Marquezine, Damian Alcazar, George Lopez and Adriana Barraza.
- 8/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Plot: A neglected dog named Reggie (Will Ferrell) is befriended by a street-smart pup, Bug (Jamie Foxx), who teaches him how to be a stray. When Reggie realizes how cruel his former owner (Will Forte) was, he sets off on a cross-country journey to get even the only way he knows how – bite his old owner’s d*ck off.
Review: While watching Strays, I was trying to remember the last time I had laughed so consistently at a movie. With the genre all but dead on the big screen, it’s a treat to see a legitimately funny flick come along, and, indeed, this comes from the director of the last movie that actually made me laugh really hard – Josh Greenbaum of Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.
Strays is unapologetically R-rated, with it being full of dog humping, dick-biting, golden showers and f-bombs. Still, the fact...
Review: While watching Strays, I was trying to remember the last time I had laughed so consistently at a movie. With the genre all but dead on the big screen, it’s a treat to see a legitimately funny flick come along, and, indeed, this comes from the director of the last movie that actually made me laugh really hard – Josh Greenbaum of Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.
Strays is unapologetically R-rated, with it being full of dog humping, dick-biting, golden showers and f-bombs. Still, the fact...
- 8/18/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
This doggy adult comedy is unrelentingly gag-filled, foul-mouthed – and coming to a cinema near you. Its director talks about striving for a four-legged Stand By Me vibe, and how he adopted one of his star performers
Strays may be a film about talking dogs but it boasts an obscenely stacked cast. There’s Will Ferrell, revisiting the sweet naivety of his Elf era. There’s Jamie Foxx, having more fun than he’s visibly had in a decade. Will Forte gets to be more obnoxious than he’s been since The Last Man on Earth. Jamie Demetriou pops up briefly. Sofía Vergara plays a settee. It’s all very impressive.
At any other point in time, you would probably be reading an interview with one of these people. However, the ongoing Sag-Aftra strike means actors are not currently promoting their work, and so it is that I enter a Zoom call with Josh Greenbaum,...
Strays may be a film about talking dogs but it boasts an obscenely stacked cast. There’s Will Ferrell, revisiting the sweet naivety of his Elf era. There’s Jamie Foxx, having more fun than he’s visibly had in a decade. Will Forte gets to be more obnoxious than he’s been since The Last Man on Earth. Jamie Demetriou pops up briefly. Sofía Vergara plays a settee. It’s all very impressive.
At any other point in time, you would probably be reading an interview with one of these people. However, the ongoing Sag-Aftra strike means actors are not currently promoting their work, and so it is that I enter a Zoom call with Josh Greenbaum,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
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