There’s a new Will Ferrell movie right around the corner that you might not have heard about. No, it’s not some goofy comedy, or a Lego Movie sequel or a new Despicable Me. Premiering in January at Sundance was Will & Harper, and it’s a road trip movie starring Ferrell and his SNL writer and friend, Harper Steele. But no, it’s not a silly road trip comedy, but an eye-opening documentary about two friends seeing one another in new ways.
As seen in the trailer for Will & Harper, the film begins when Steele informs Ferrell that he’s begun transitioning to female. Ferrell then invites Steele on a days-long road trip across America to rediscover their friendship and explore the reasons behind such a huge personal decision.
The film is directed by Josh Greenbaum, known for his award-winning doc The Short Game, as well as the comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.
SYNOPSIS: Three years ago, Will Ferrell was filming a movie when he received a most surprising email: his dear friend of nearly 30 years was coming out to him as a trans woman. That friend was Harper Steele, a writer he met on his first day at Saturday Night Live back in 1995. From that fateful first meeting in the halls of 30 Rock, Will knew he had found a match made in comedy, and their friendship and creative partnership would only continue to grow over the next three decades. In this intimate, honest, and heartfelt documentary, Will and Harper hit the open road together to process this new stage of their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country that she loves – this time, as herself. Over 16 days, the two drive from New York to LA, visiting stops that are meaningful to them, to their friendship, and to America. Through laughter, tears, and many cans of Pringles, they push past their comfort zones as they re-examine their relationships to these spaces and to each other in this new light.
Netflix acquired the rights shortly after Sundance, and it’s clear they have big plans for it as a potential Oscar contender. The film will head to Toronto next, before being released on September 27th. You can check out Cortland’s early review of Will & Harper here.
