Will Ferrell hears critics, abandons Ronald Reagan ‘dementia comedy’
The comedian won’t pursue the proposed flick that sparked outrage from the late president’s children. They urged the ‘SNL’ alumnus to learn more about the cognitive condition instead of mocking it.
The many voices of condemnation seem to have prevailed.
Comedian Will Ferrell’s plan to produce and star in a movie about President Ronald Reagan and the onset of his Alzheimer’s disease drew ire—and obscenities—from many on social media. By Friday morning, posts from @sethrogan, actor Joe Piscopo and politicians all condemned Ferrell, urging him to “not go there.”
By early afternoon, a response finally came from Ferrell’s camp, and The New York Post reported it on Page Six:
The 48-year-old comic confirmed Friday that while he had seen the script and considered signing on to star in and produce “Reagan,” he was no longer going ahead with the project. A spokesperson for Will said, “The REAGAN script is one of a number of scripts that had been submitted to Will Ferrell which he had considered. While it is by no means an ‘Alzheimer’s comedy’ as has been suggested, Mr. Ferrell is not pursuing this project.”
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