Will Ferrell drops out of 'Reagan' after backlash

[Eugene]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Will Ferrell drops out of 'Reagan' after backlash

By Jessica Roy
APRIL 29, 2016, 11:45 AM

Will Ferrell is skipping out on the Gipper.

The 48-year-old actor was set to play the lead role in "Reagan," a satirical comedy about the former president, but on Friday a rep said he's no longer attached to the project.

"The Reagan script is one of a number of scripts that had been submitted to Will Ferrell which he had considered," a spokesperson for Ferrell said in an email to The Times. "While it is by no means an 'Alzheimer's comedy' as has been suggested, Mr. Ferrell is not pursuing this project."

In the script, President Reagan is sinking into dementia and an ambitious intern has to convince him he's an actor playing the president in a movie. The script was part of the "Black List," a database of the best unproduced projects. Last month, a live reading was staged with big names like Lena Dunham and Josh Brolin.

The news that Ferrell would play a dementia-stricken Reagan was met with contempt from Ronald Reagan's children, as well as conservatives who objected to the negative portrayal of the Republican icon and Alzheimer's advocates who didn't find the idea of a person suffering from the disease particularly funny.

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-will-ferrell-reagan-drops-out-20160429-snap-htmlstory.html

Previous thread: Conservatives less than thrilled by Will Ferrell playing Reagan with dementia

[Initech]

1. Yeah that movie was a bad idea.

Of course it could be like most things that generate that kind of controversy and flat out suck (*COUGH* The Interview *COUGH* ) but it's probably for the best this movie doesn’t get made.

[underpants]

4. Hey! I thought The Interview was pretty good

No, no I didn't. It was bad.

[Initech]

6. Halfway through I'm like "I paid $14 for this"?

[moonbabygo]

2. Good, there is nothing funny about Alzheimer's

regardless of who has it

[840high]

5. .that^ X100

I lost a family member to that terrible disease.

[GummyBearz]

13. Thank you

I lost a grandfather to it, and my mother is just starting to get it. Its a long, financially hard, and emotionally painful experience. I actually find myself hoping I die before I get it, so my wife doesn't have to care for me in that time of my life.

[moonbabygo]

15. I know what you mean

me too

[Journeyman]

3. Of all the objections, the Alzheimer's advocates is the only one that carries any weight . . .

and even that would be mitigated, were the movie to handle the subject well.

It's satire, for Pastafarian's sake. Mel Brooks got us to laugh at Hitler, only 20 years afterwards. In capable hands, a comedy of errors revolving around the Sainted One would almost write itself.

[monmouth4]

7. Hollywood writers seem to have a problem coming up with new and original ideas. This was a bad one.

[longship]

9. Let's remake a movie!

It's like the sick Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland flicks... ALL THE SAME!

Let's put on a SHOW!

At least the Little Rascals did it first... "Pay to exit!"

[catnhatnh]

8. Reagan was guilty of treason

and war crimes. Nothing that offends his supporters would offend me. You know what is really offensive? Trading arms for hostages and outfitting death squads. His image as a "great American" needs to be buried.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. Ok, he's guilty of treason, ...

He's guilty of war crimes,
He's guilty of arms trafficking,
He's guilty of having Alzheimer's.

Which crime is worthy of a movie?

[catnhatnh]

11. I would say

that the first three are crimes and worthy of a movie and the fourth is a disease but certainly no excuse...

[moonbabygo]

16. and you are correct

in your thinking. Too many families and loved ones will get hurt if we make this disease comical

[Demonaut]

12. making fun of a terrible disease is very reagan-like

Last edited Sun May 1, 2016, 01:23 AM - Edit history (1)

[Bucky]

14. instead of making a movie blaming it on dementia...

why not just make a movie, maybe a comedy, about the Reagan Administration that shows he knew what he was doing?

There was that movie Dick that was so funny about the Nixon White House