Over the years, it’s become quite clear that Will Ferrell is a sports fan, or at the very least, a fan of playing characters in sports comedies. The actor has taken to the soccer field in Kicking & Screaming, the ice rink in Blades of Glory and the basketball court in Semi-Pro, and, according to a new report from Variety, he’s not stopping there. The outlet has confirmed that Ferrell will star as a competitive eSports (aka electronic sports) gamer in an upcoming comedy for Legendary.
The film follows a middle-aged video game player (Ferrell) who, despite his age, has held on to his impeccable hand-eye coordination. The man competes in eSports competitions with his professional team, comprised of much younger gamers, which makes him stand out. Two real-life competitive eSports organizations/teams, Evil Geniuses and Fnatic, may “have a presence” in the project as well.
SpongeBob SqaurePants 3 co-writers Michael Kvamme and Jordan Dunn will handle scripting duties, and Mosaic and Gary Sanchez Productions, the latter of which is a company Ferrell owns with Oscar winner Adam McKay, will produce.
Currently, the project is untitled and doesn’t have an official release date; however, as for details, the report does claim that the film will be “in the same vein as Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby.”
Distribution for the film with handled by Universal in every territory except for China.
Ferrell has a handful of movies due out over the next two years, including Daddy’s Home 2, The House and Holmes & Watson.
Originally published December 7, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
