Perhaps buoyed by the surprising success of Daddy’s Home, Will Ferrell has found himself on the shortlist for another patriarchal comedy: Captain Dad.
First reported by Deadline, Ferrell is closing a deal to headline the family vacation romp, joining Catherine Keener and Michael Cera as a brash father that throws caution and common sense to the wind and decides to whisk his wife Linda (Keener) and their six children off to the Caribbean on a sailboat.
Writer-director Sebastian Silva is the one dreaming up the chaos from behind the lens, overseeing a premise that will seemingly bring “new meaning to the idea of the dysfunctional family.” Anne Carey and Archer Gray are in line to produce Captain Dad, while executive producing duties will be split between Christine Vachon and Killer Films.
In attendance at Cannes is Protagonist Pictures, the studio handling international sales of Silva’s hot property, so expect Ferrell’s latest to find a home before long.
Here’s the official logline:
Rich Peelman (Ferrell) gives his wife Linda (Keener) the gift of a lifetime for her birthday: a trip through the Caribbean on a sailboat with all six of their kids and their partners. Stubborn, competitive and overly confident in his sailing abilities that are clearly out of sync with reality, Rich is determined that the vacation be run on his terms. But things do not go according to plan. His “father knows best” attitude clashes with the rest of the Peelman clan. And by the end, even the most patient of the bunch are ready to throw Captain Dad overboard, bringing new meaning to the idea of the dysfunctional family.
On paper, it’s a bankable comedy that fits right in Will Ferrell’s wheelhouse, particularly now that Paramount is pushing ahead with a sequel to Daddy’s Home. Yes, the actor may have bowed out of political dramedy Reagan, but Captain Dad is poised to be another sure-fire hit for the actor barring any calamitous missteps.
Published: May 11, 2016 11:53 am