- Title: With Eurovision canceled, Netflix offers fans a Will Ferrell comedy
- Date: 24th June 2020
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 22, 2020) (REUTERS VIA ZOOM) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR WILL FERRELL SAYING: (ON CASTING PIERCE BROSNAN) "We had him in the script from the beginning. And when we described that Lars' father was the most handsome man in all of Sweden, think Pierce Brosnan. And sent it to him, he thought it was funny. And, and he's, he's so lovely. He gives a performance that gets comedic, but it's also, you know, all this emotion behind it." KAUAI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JUNE 22, 2020) (REUTERS VIA ZOOM) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR PIERCE BROSNAN SAYING: "There was no pitch. My agent just sent me the script. I read it one morning and said yes to it by lunchtime. I'm a huge fan of Will's work, and I thought he hit the proverbial nail on the head with getting the tone right for celebrating Eurovision. I grew up with Eurovision living in London. Very, very familiar with it. And saw ABBA, you know, perform and win the contest way back in 1974."
- Embargoed: 8th July 2020 19:06
- Keywords: Eurovision film movie music netflix pierce brosnan rachel mcadams will ferrell
- Location: UNKNOWN LOCATIONS / LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA + KAUAI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES / TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- City: UNKNOWN LOCATIONS / LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA + KAUAI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES / TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA006CJQBGWD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With the coronavirus pandemic forcing cancellation of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, actors Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams hope fans can get their fix by watching their madcap Netflix comedy about a duo from Iceland who compete in the event.
"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" is a "zany, unexpected, musical extravaganza," McAdams told Reuters.
She and Ferrell play Sigrit Ericksdottir and Lars Erickssong, blond Scandinavian soulmates who bumble their way into being Iceland's contest entrants, and find unlikely ways to keep advancing.
The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the world's biggest annual television events, featuring colorful and often tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top performances. It was due to take place in Rotterdam in May after the Netherlands won the 2019 contest, but was canceled as the pandemic spread.
Pierce Brosnan said he only needed a quick look at the script to sign on for the role of Ferrell's father and harshest critic, Erick Erickssong.
"I read it one morning and said yes to it by lunchtime," Brosnan said, adding he "grew up with Eurovision living in London" and watched ABBA win in 1974.
Ferrell said Eurovision officials "totally got" his idea of a movie lampooning the contest.
"I said, 'You know, we're going to have some fun with it.' And they're like: 'Oh, you should.'"
Ferrell said real past Eurovision performances were a key inspiration and gave them the idea, for instance, for a scene in which Ferrell sings while running on a giant hamster wheel.
"Andrew (Steele), our writer said, let's just do the hamster wheel." They got an "amazing team of British prop guys constructing this massive hamster wheel out of steel that would later be lowered, you know, 100 feet out of the air that I'm running on."
Ferrell hopes the Netflix film can "show our love and gratitude for this kind of amazing, amazing contest that... 46 countries compete in every year. And it means so much to the community."
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