Will Ferrell and Zac Efron to star in New Comedy

The new, untitled comedy will see Efron as a convict who takes a reality TV courtroom hostage in retaliation against Ferrell’s egomaniacal blowhard judge.

(Left) Will Ferrell in 'Will & Harper'. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Zac Efron as Chris Cole in 'A Family Affair'. Photo: Tina Rowden/Netflix © 2024.

Preview:

Zac Efron and Will Ferrell are teaming up for a new comedy.
It’ll see a newly released convict take hostages.
This marks a reunion for Ferrell and his ‘You’re Cordially Invited’ director Nicholas Stoller.

Writer/director Nicholas Stoller recently brought Will Ferrell back to our screens with new wedding-themed comedy movie ‘You’re Cordially Invited,’ which co-starred Reese Witherspoon in the story of warring nuptial groups.

You're Cordially Invited

"Save the date. Prepare for chaos."

R1 hr 49 minJan 30th, 2025

Watch You're Cordially Invited Online

Sent directly to Prime Video, it’s currently the most-watched movie worldwide on the service, so you can certainly see why Amazon MGM Studios might want to have the actor and filmmaker team back up again for another comedy outing.

And according to Deadline, that’s exactly what is happening, as Stoller is preparing to make new movie starring Ferrell.

But wait! That’s not all… There’s another reunion in the works for this one, as Zac Efron –– who previously starred for the writer/director in 2014’s ‘Neighbors’ and its 2016 sequel ‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’ –– is also aboard.

What’s the story of Zac Efron and Will Ferrell’s new comedy?

(Left) Zac Efron in 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever,' premiering globally on September 30, 2022 on Apple TV+. (Right) Will Ferrell at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

While we don’t yet know the title for the movie (the IMDb reports it as ‘Judgement Day’, but perhaps that couldn’t be cleared) the basic logline is out there: Efron plays a young convict fresh out of prison who takes a reality TV courtroom hostage.

His real beef is with the megalomaniac TV judge (Ferrell) for a past ruling that the convict feels ruined his life.

So… yes, we can imagine a blend of reality justice parody (think a twist on ‘Judge Judy’ or ‘Hot Bench’ and the sort of wacky comedy Stoller is known for. That, and a dollop of heart at the core.

What else is Zac Efron working on?

(L to R) Jermaine Fowler, Zac Efron and Andrew Santino in 'Ricky Stanicky.' Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.

Efron, who also appeared in Amazon’s ‘Ricky Stanicky,’ recently finished work on ‘Famous,’ director Jody Hill’s latest film.

It’s described a provocative Los Angeles-set thriller that explores the dark side of celebrity. Efron plays both an overzealous fan, Lance Dunkquist, and a Hollywood heartthrob, James Jansen.

The movie is based on the novel by bestselling author Blake Crouch and is adapted for the screen by Chad Hodge, who previously turned Crouch’s ‘Wayward Pines’ trilogy into a series.

Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole and Joey King as Zara Ford in 'A Family Affair'.

Elsewhere, Efron appeared in last year’s ‘A Family Affair’ opposite Nicole Kidman and Joey King and is developing a new TV series called ‘Killing Zac Efron,’ in which he ventures deep into the jungles of a remote, dangerous island to carve his own name in expedition history.

And he’ll show up playing himself in at least one episode of new Seth Rogen-starring Apple TV+ comedy ‘The Studio,’ which finds Rogen playing a studio executive who is promoted to head of the company and must now face the challenge of balancing commercial expectations with his own wish to create arty indie movies.

Fun fact: that series also features a cameo by one Nicholas Stoller, also playing himself.

What else is Will Ferrell attached to?

(L to R) Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in 'You're Cordially Invited'. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson/Prime Video. Copyright: © 2023 Amazon Content Services LLC.

Aside from ‘You’re Cordially Invited,’ Ferrell most recently appeared in Netflix documentary ‘Will & Harper,’ which has been winning awards but was snubbed for contention at the Oscars.

He has a variety of projects in development as both an actor and producer, including TV series ‘Totally Spies!’ a new Gus Van Sant comedy movie called ‘Prince of Fashion’ and ‘Street Justice’, in which he’ll play a vigilante character dispensing justice outside the law.

Then there’s ‘Playing POTUS,’ a new documentary from ‘Will & Harper’ director Josh Greenbaum, which talks to actors who have played the President on screen (Ferrell famously impersonated George W. Bush on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and for the play ‘You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.’

What else is Nick Stoller developing?

(L to R) Nicholas Stoller (Director) and Reese Witherspoon (Margot) in 'You're Cordially Invited'. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson/Prime Video. Copyright: © 2023 Amazon Content Services LLC.

Stoller, whose credits also include ‘The Five-Year Engagement’ and ‘The Muppets,’ is the writer and producer of a new adaptation of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm,’ which boasts Andy Serkis as director (less chance for comedy in that one).

He also has a long list of projects at various stages of development including a take on ‘Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell and a comedy that would pair Ferrell with Jason Momoa.

When will the new comedy hit screens?

Despite the star names attached, the new movie is still at the pre-production stage, so Amazon MGM studios has yet to confirm when it might be released.

Also still to gleaned is where it’ll premiere: ‘You’re Cordially Invited’ went directly to Prime Video, so perhaps this latest comedy is headed down the same route?