Will Ferrell To Produce & Star In 20th Comedy ‘Street Justice’

EXCLUSIVE: Following the release of his acclaimed Netflix documentary Will & Harper, examining his close relationship with transgender former SNL writer Harper Steele, Will Ferrell has found a new project in Street Justice, a comedy that he’ll produce and star in for 20th Century Studios.

Based on an original idea by Dave Callaham, the film has Ferrell playing a Dirty Harry type who goes about taking justice into his own hands, sources tell us. Peter Atencio, a comedy veteran currently in post on Legendary’s forthcoming live-action/animation hybrid Animal Friends, will direct.

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Callaham, the writer behind Shang-Chi and the Oscar-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, penned the script on spec — selling it in a large seven-figure deal, according to our sources — and will serve as executive producer. Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum will produce for Gloria Sanchez Productions, with David Koplan also aboard to produce. The project reunites Callaham and Atencio following their work together on Jean-Claude Van Johnson, the action comedy series for Prime Video starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a version of himself.

Coming off of roles in comedies like the Oscar-winning Barbie, Strays and Emmy-winning TV movie Quiz Lady, Ferrell will next be seen starring opposite Reese Witherspoon in Nick Stoller’s wedding comedy You’re Cordially Invited, which debuts on Prime Video on January 30. Also upcoming is the Netflix comedy series Golf, which he co-created with Ramy Youssef and Josh Rabinowitz and stars in opposite the former. Netflix docu Will & Harper, of which he’s producer and co-subject, has been nominated for a Cinema Eye Honors Award and four Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards since its September debut.

Prior to starry R-rated road trip pic Animal Friends, starring Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy, Atencio helmed the Legendary comedy The Machine, based on the oft-told story from comedian Bert Kreischer.

Ferrell, Atencio and Callaham are all with UTA. Ferrell is also repped by Mosaic and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Atencio by Artists First; and Callaham by Kaplan/Perrone and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.

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