The Eurovision Song Contest is set to get the Netflix treatment, with Will Ferrell reportedly on board to write and star in a new film about the legendary music compeition.
Over the years, American actor Will Ferrell has carved out a rather sturdy career based around making people laugh, with roles in films such as Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Elf being considered classics of the comedy genre. But now, the occasionally divisive comedian is getting ready to set his sights on the world of music for his new acting venture.
As Deadline reports, Will Ferrell is gearing up to partner with Andrew Steele, a former head writer for Saturday Night Live, to create the new Netflix film, aptly-titled Eurovision.
Ferrell was actually in attendence at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, reportedly having been introduced to it through his wife, who is originally from Sweden. As the BBC notes, Ferrell spent time with the organisers, who gave him their blessing to go ahead and make the film.
While there’s no plot details confirmed at this stage, we can only assume the film is going to be rather similar to many of his previous films, featuring his trademark humour, and, given the nature of the subject at hand, might even contain some of his singing.
The Eurovision Song Contest first began back in 1956, with Australia inexplicably being involved since 2015 as a ‘guest entrant’. Notable winners of Eurovision have included the likes of ABBA, Celine Dion, and Finnish heavy metal band Lordi, so there’s every chance these acts might be the subject of mockery when Ferrell puts pen to paper for the new film.
While Australia is yet to finish in higher than second place in Eurovision, this year’s competition saw local commentator Joel Creasey score a bit of global fame after he referred to a stage invader during the performance of the United Kingdom’s SuRie as an “absolute cockhead”.
No word yet on whether Will Ferrell will be slipping those words into his script, but we can only hope.
Check out the 2018 Eurovision winner, Israel’s Netta with ‘Toy’:
