Will Ferrell has come upon an intriguing property for his next project. He is set to star in and produce the adaptation for Jonas Jonasson’s best-selling novel The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ferrell is financing along with his Gary Sanchez partners Adam McKay and Jessica Elbaum and producers from NiceFLX Pictures. CBS Films will be distributing and Jason George (Narcos) will pen the adaptation.
The 100-Year-Old Man will tell the story of a man on his 100th birthday who escapes from his nursing home and hits the road to a bevy of misadventure. Along the way, he comes across a run-in with criminals, a bag of cash, and an elephant. It is eventually revealed that his past as an explosives expert involved him in some of the 20th Century’s biggest defining moments, including events with Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle. Before long, past and present begin to merge on the momentous night of his 100th birthday. The tone of the film will follow in the footsteps of Forrest Gump, but with an edge of dark humor.
“My character, Allan, knows the art of being funny just by being,” said Jonasson in a statement. “That is something Will Ferrell masters to perfection. Great humor with small measurements. I am happy that Allan is now in his hands.”
Ferrell, known primarily for his outlandish comedy, has also been known to dial it back a bit in films like Stranger Than Fiction or Bewitched. Based on the plot description and projected tone of the film, it is likely that The 100-Year-Old Man could be a somewhat fascinating departure for Ferrell. Coming up, he will be starring in Holmes and Watson, a buddy comedy that will reunite him with his Step Brothers co-star John C. Reilly.
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