Adam McKay wonders why his Will Ferrell split eclipsed climate change
Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay is trying to promote a movie about the extinction-level threat we face over here
Aux News Adam McKay
Last week, the breakup story of two best friends and work buddies became bigger news than climate change. Well, not exactly, but a lot of people (including the incredible staff here at The A.V. Club) took a keen interest in the split between comedy star Will Ferrell and his Anchorman director Adam McKay.
McKay, who just made a movie about America’s disinterest in actually engaging with and solving the climate crisis, doesn’t get why people are more interested in his breakup with Ferrell, which is generating more headlines than imminent water graves.
“It’s kind of crazy to see how much has been reported on this,” McKay told The Hollywood Reporter. “We made Don’t Look Up to hopefully get people talking about the climate crisis—literally the biggest threat to life in human history —and to see so much made about two comedy guys not talking about a TV show is a scary sign of our times.”
Nevertheless, McKay acquiesced and elaborated on their relationship. “I love Ferrell. Always will. I had the best, most fun run of my life with him. Yes, I wish I had talked to him about it out of respect, but we were both focused on our new companies and life just took over.”
As reported in a Vanity Fair profile of McKay, tensions in their partnership boiled over when the director hired Ferrell’s friend and frequent collaborator John C. Reilly to play L.A. Lakers owner Jerry Buss in an upcoming TV series over Ferrell. According to McKay, “I fucked up on how I handled that.”
Ultimately, the news of their split played into a lot of curiosity about their partnership, which produced three of the biggest, most influential comedies of the 2000s, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers.
The aftermath of the split wasn’t “chummy.”
“I kept trying to frame it like, ‘Hey, it’s OK. It’s its natural conclusion,’ but as I would say it, it didn’t quite feel right,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “It felt like a breakup. I’m looking forward to when the dust has settled. I’d love to just go watch a Lakers game with him and kick back and get back to our old kind of rhythm. But, yeah, I can’t lie, at the end of it, we were both kind of bummed out.”
They did, however, split Succession, which they share an executive producer credit on. And that’s just good business anyway you slice it.
Anyway, like everyone else, we hope that they can put the past behind them and make another The Other Guys.
74 Comments
Maybe because this movie is like “Ka-Kow” but this feud is all like “KA-KOW!”
I don’t know. Probably because the only movies of McKay’s that are good and worth remembering are with Will Ferrell? Who wants another self-righteous polemic that spells out its message in the most literal terms possible? And I agree with McKay’s politics. Wall Street deserved harsher punishment. Cheney and the Bush administration are criminals. Climate change is a looming threat that we need to combat right away. That doesn’t make his movies about these things any less insufferable and bad, especially when his comedies could land similar ideas artfully and hilariously.
“I agree with you, but you’re an asshole” pretty much sums up the last 5-10 years for me.
The fact that he felt the need to make a movie haranguing people into paying more attention to climate change is about as self-involved as it gets.
I’m a little mystified about his movie, which apparently satirizes how the media will ignore a big problem in favor of petty bullshit, having been ignored by the media in favor of petty bullshit, is somehow confusing him.
Obviously he expected his movie to solve the media problem, right before it solved the climate problem.
Yes, but this Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence movie was supposed to solve that.
Because the issue he claims they’re ignoring isn’t an issue they’re ignoring. Hell, the current party in power is working within the limited majorities they have to actually do something about it while he’s out there telling people “THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T CARE!”It’s that kind of nihilistic nonsense that only makes the problem worse.
Yes, this exactly.
The Big Short is fantastic, and almost no “regular” person in America really knew about how the firewall between investment and commercial banking went down in the 90s, the packaging of bad mortgage bonds, and corrupt ratings bureaus before this movie.
Yeah, The Big Short works because it’s working with subject matter that is genuinely obtuse to 95% of the population, so McKay’s whole tone of “I know this is complicated so I’m going to explain this to you like a child” has merit. His mistake was fully replicating that tone for a movie about Dick Cheney, a person who everybody already knows and who we already know the gist of why he’s awful.
The Big Short is pretty good, and at least tries to have fun while explaining complex concepts. But it is punishingly didactic, and sort of falls off once it gets really serious.
except for the people who read Lewis’ book.
Except all us regulars working in residential real estate development, home building companies, etc.
I strongly agree. It’s a 50 page Atlantic article in the form of a fun and digestible movie.
“Who wants another self-righteous polemic that spells out its message in the most literal terms possible?”No one, really. But if we’re not going to fix climate change, hating someone’s artistic sensibilities seems like small beer to me.
He’s a classic Champagne socialist, with zero self-awareness and lots of misogyny. He railed obsessively against bIg bAnKs but seems oblivious to the fact that EVERY one of his projects has been bankrolled by a bank or something worse. I completely believe that you can be successful and well off and want more regulation and social safety nets, but he seems to hate bankers more than banks and women politicians more than politicians. In other words, he’s a smug prick and a condescending one at that. He’s the kind of person that makes me understand why people are willing to go down in flames because a the messenger is such an asshole. I agree with most of what McKay thinks, but he’s the opposite of helpful.
Counterpoint – While the book was better, the Big Short was good and Vice was great.
Big Short got him high on his own supply. Vice was…fine but definitely in capital-S-smug territory. I have a feeling this will be so much worse.
I could not put my finger on it before, but this sums up my thoughts on the matter as well. Thank you.
The Big Short is great.
That doesn’t make his movies about these things any less insufferable
and bad, especially when his comedies could land similar ideas artfully
and hilariously.
It’s also insufferably annoying that the people who cheer these movies on are the same types who turn around and mock “liberals” because in their eyes all they do is talk and wear ribbons.It’s like “fucker, what does this movie actually accomplish other than make you feel better?”
Nice, one more Adam McKay article and I get a free sandwich.
Jeez, the polar icecaps are melting and you’re over here talking about sandwiches! C’mon!
To be fair, free sandwiches are literally the biggest threat to life in human history.
Cass Elliot’s, anyway.
Be ashamed, bfred.Be deeply ashamed of that one….
Death[edit]9 Curzon Square in 2012; Flat 12 was on the fourth floor (top left) in 1974.On April 22, 1974, Elliot collapsed in the television studio of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonimmediately before her scheduled appearance on the show. She was treated at a hospital and released, then dismissed the incident as simple exhaustion in interviews such as her May 7 appearance on The Tonight Show and the American television talk show The Mike Douglas Show.[30]Her appearance on that episode of The Mike Douglas Show turned out to be her last for television.In July 1974, Elliot performed a fortnight of concerts as a solo performer at the London Palladium. Many claimed that all of these shows were sold out, but she often was playing to a less-than-full house after the earlier dates.[31]After her appearance at the Palladium, Elliot went on a 48-hour celebration. She first attended a birthday party for Mick Jagger at his home at Tite Street in Chelsea.[32] Debbie Reynolds claimed in her 2013 book Unsinkable: A Memoir that her children, Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher, and she saw Elliot at the birthday party.[33] Reynolds noted that Elliot was alone when she left.[33] After the party, Elliot went to a “breakfast-lunch” in her honor presented by Georgia Brown. From there, she attended a cocktail party hosted by American journalist Jack Martin. Cass left at 8:00 pm, stating she was tired and needed to get some sleep.[32]Elliot retired to an apartment at which singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson allowed her to stay in Mayfair at Curzon Place. There, she made an international call to Michelle Phillips. Phillips said later that Elliot sounded elated that she had received standing ovations each night. Phillips recalls, “She had had a little champagne, and was crying. She felt she had finally made the transition from Mama Cass.”[32]It was 1974 and Cass was ecstatic that she was going to London to play The Palladium. After she had played two nights there, she called crying with joy telling me that she had got a standing ovation both nights and she had sold out both nights, she was just as happy as I’d ever seen her or heard her. The following day, I was having lunch at Warner Brothers and a friend of mine came running out with the terrible news that Cass had died in her sleep of a heart attack, it was just unbelievable that she died on the night that she had called me and been so happy and so fulfilled, it was wonderful for her that she had made that leap from Mama Cass to Cass Elliot, and I do know this one thing—Cass Elliot died a very happy woman.— Michelle Phillips, 2005That night, Elliot, age 32, died in her sleep at the London flat where she was staying. According to forensic pathologist Keith Simpson, who conducted her autopsy, her death was due to heart failure. “There was left-sided heart failure,” he wrote, “she had a heart attack which developed rapidly.”[32] A drug screen that was part of the forensic autopsy revealed there were no drugs in her system.[34][35][36]
Me too!!! I have the punch card and everything!!!
They really really want us to watch this movie and it’s just making me want to watch it less.
A new story about celebrity gossip is news. What’s the headline he wants, “Climate Change Still Happening”?
“McKay Awarded all Six Nobel Prizes for Successfully Averting Climate Disaster”
Honestly I’d be down with that headline if true, SOMEONE has to solve this thing!
“ ‘Just wanted to do my part helping solve this thing’ claimed the humble artist.”
I wonder if you’re still be laughing and snarking when your own house blows down or burns up because of the very climate change you’re denying, bfred.Oh, I forgot who I was talking to — you’d rather deny a plague wiping out your fellow Republicans if it lets you “own Libs”….
What a fucking blowhard
“Increasingly Severe Hurricanes Blow Slightly Harder Than Adam McKay.”
Feels worth noting that a couple weeks before this story became A Thing, somebody asked Will Ferrell the same question McKay got about why the two of them split up. Ferrell gave the essentially drama-free answer that he quit their production company because he wanted to smaller workload.Seems there was a little more to it than Ferrell was letting on, but my real point is that this is only a story because McKay made it one! Nobody forced him to spill the tea here, he could’ve very easily given a similar drama-free answer in that Vanity Fair profile. If McKay doesn’t like that this has become a story, he has nobody to blame but himself.
That’s how I feel. It would be one thing if this story was just leaked, but McKay chose to talk about it. Ferrell was taking a risk on a dramatic role on a not that popular streaming service – I’m sure he could have used the headlines talking about their falling out, but he kept quiet and respected their former friendship. McKay did not. And now he is going to complain because people would rather talk about this than climate change? We already know about climate change – how will overexposed celebrities change that? Tired as the “out of touch Hollywood” label is, it is very apt here.
I’m sure he could have used the headlines talking about their falling out, but he kept quiet and respected their former friendship. McKay did not. And now he is going to complain because people would rather talk about this than climate change? 1. Draw media attention to yourself by airing previously-private personal and professional drama involving Will Ferrell. 2. Give follow-up interviews in which you explain how shocked and confused you are that the drama you kicked up about Will Ferrell is taking attention away from your new movie, in theaters for a limited time starting this Friday and available to stream on Netflix from December 24.3. Pretend that you’re not the one being a shallow, self-involved cynic.
Yeah, this is kind of like the 30 year old guy who’s suing Nirvana because they used a photo of him as an infant on Nevermind. His argument is that it’s ruined his life because he thinks everyone else thinks he has a tiny baby dick.Of course, he wouldn’t have that problem if he didn’t go around telling everyone he’s the baby on the album. It’s all self-inflicted.
Not to mention, he always starts the story with “I definitely don’t have a tiny baby dick, but hey did you know…”
Indeed!
All this dipshit has to do is be nice to his friend, and then we’ll all start taking climate change seriously. What doesn’t he get?
He’s from Malvern, near me. Shoe fits.
Please, no more Adam McKay.
“Wonders why”? Bro you just made a whole movie about why.
So, this article is essentially paraphrasing another AV Club article paraphrasing a Vanity Fair profile.
Dude, I unlocked the door to your cell months ago. You can leave anytime.
It’s my comment and I can kvetch if I want to.
So what you’re saying is that this is saying something that was said in another thing that was saying something from something else?
Because he made a pedantic, self important piece of crap movie?
“It’s kind of crazy to see how much has been reported on this,” McKay told The Hollywood Reporter. “We made Don’t Look Up to hopefully get people talking about the climate crisis—literally the biggest threat to life in human history —and to see so much made about two comedy guys not talking about a TV show is a scary sign of our times.”
Up until now I’ve been ignoring all of the other movies made about climate change, as well as the TV shows, news segments, YouTube videos, countless articles, books, and scientific reports. But now that Adam McKay has made a movie about it starring Dumpy Leonardo DiCaprio and Bad Wig JLaw, I’m going to have to give it some thought.
Good.
(sigh) This fuckin’ guy…
Judging from the film’s reviews because the break up is much more entertaining.
Careful or David Sirota is gonna yell at you for not supporting the little guy who just wanted to make a movie for Netflix staring a number of Academy Award winning actors.
When’s the Jackass movie coming out?
I’m so sick of this guy and his blackpill comedy.
“and to see so much made about two comedy guys not talking about a TV show is a scary sign of our times”Oh look, the rich white American’s finally getting a clue. Adorbs.
McKay should pump the brakes a little. I wasn’t alive then but I’m sure Martin & Lewis’ breakup drew more headlines than communist insurgency in Southeast Asia.
Wait a minute! The movie on which Jonah Hill and Jennifer Lawrence referred to Meryl Streep as GOAT on-set is about climate change? The trailer makes it look to be about an asteroid. I eagerly await it streaming in two weeks to see for myself.I am planning to see the film when it is available, not just in one city or even “select cities” because I don’t live in one, but when it’s available to everyone. The cast and the trailer makes it for me — I watched the trailer for Meryl Streep — and I enjoyed The Big Short and Vice, so that’s enough to make me look past those other films.
Adam McKay wonders why his Will Ferrell split eclipsed climate changeUh…wasn’t that the entire point of his latest movie…?
I don’t know what it is, but McKay has been giving off “Joss Whedon” vibes for a couple years now. That could be a reason people are being distracted from whatever message his movies are preaching.
Is it Adam McKay week or something?
One of the writers for this movie is Bernie’s old speechwriter from 2020 so I’m guessing all the cosplay socialists really really want this to do well.
#Bannon#DrLiMengYan1#闫丽梦#郭文贵#班农#LiMengYan#COVID19#YanLiMeng#亚裔歧视#Ethnicity#CCP#GenocideGameshttps://variety.com/2021/music/news/travis-scott-refund-all-astroworld-tickets-buyers-day-n-las-vegas-headline-canceled-1235107124/
This is the opposite of people saying “you can’t complain about something if there is literally anyone who has it worse than you.”
This guy made a dull movie that his audience didn’t want to watch (pedantic disaster flick, anyone? No?) and then got mad that people instead focused on interesting gossip between a celebrity and Adam McKay.Huh.
Your “fans” believe in climate change, bub, and the other side isn’t even going to be aware that you made the fucking film; at best the climate-deniers are going to hear that a lefty film-guy made a film that isn’t doing well and they are going to get a boner.
Um, what’s with just about every comment being like, “well, he’s Obviously a piece of shit! He made a movie and thought it would solve climate change! And he punches babies! And nothing he has ever made was good ever!” ?Has he done anything actually terrible that people are so mad about? He made a movie and was hoping the reception would be about the topics in the movie – which makes sense for anyone who has ever done anything, especially a pretty consistently successful filmmaker?
The profile notes that he [followed previous Miller-client’s Jim Carrey, Sacha Baron Cohen] split with his and Ferrell’s mutual manager, Jimmy Miller, because Miller continued to push McKay to make movies with [pre-packaged, big budget, built-in-box, rote studio projects, e.g. those movies offering the biggest salary, thereby garnering most lucrative 15-20% commission for Miller]Honestly, revelation why/how srsly-non-hacky Ferrell repeatedly performs in such awful, trite, bad cinema, again and again, throughout majority of his career, is somewhat resolute. imo
Wow y’all have gone hard in the paint for this movie.
Someone should put him in a room with Greta Thunberg. He can haughtily sniff his own farts while she lectures.