Streaming giant Netflix has announced that it will team up with A-list comedy star Will Ferrell for a new feature film about the Eurovision Song Contest, according to a report from Deadline. Ferrell is set to star in the film, titled Eurovision, as well as write the screenplay along with Andrew Steele. Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum will produce for Gary Sanchez Productions, and Adam McKay will serve as executive producer.
The Eurovision Song Contest, frequently referred to simply as Eurovision, is the widely-known TV song contest that pits entrants from various different countries against each other and allows viewers to vote for the other countries’ songs to determine a winner. The competition has expanded in scope over the course of its more-than-50-year existence, with over 40 countries (including, as of 2015, Australia) now eligible to enter a contestant.
The Eurovision Song Contest has famously launched a handful of enduring musical careers: ABBA rode their 1974 win for Sweden to a successful global recording career, and Celine Dion launched her own career with a win for Switzerland in 1988. However, the contest has mostly only provided short-term popularity boosts for its winners, with most winners eventually fading back into obscurity.
Ferrell has made a career out of sending up various fringe competitions, from NASCAR (Talladega Nights) to Olympic figure skating (Blades of Glory) to youth soccer (Kicking & Screaming), to semi-pro basketball (Semi-Pro), and beyond. We’ve also seen him show his musical side once or twice—from his famous Robert Goulet impressions on Saturday Night Live to his climactic operatic rendition of “Por Ti Volare” in Step Brothers—and it always proves to be a riot.
Will Ferrell – “Por Ti Volare” – Step Brothers
[Video: abate16]
Ferrell’s move to Netflix rather than the big screen follows a recent trend in the comedy world in which both big-name stars and rising comedic talents go directly to the streaming platform with their films and specials rather than utilizing the big screen and premium cable, as was formerly the norm. Many of Ferrell’s comedic contemporaries like Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, and Dave Chappelle have already gotten in on the Netflix comedy trend.
[H/T Deadline]