Making the leap from the sea of swirly twirly gumdrops all the way to Cocaine Island, Will Ferrell is proving his versatility as an actor in his latest career move. The former SNL comedian, known for his goofy roles in films like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and holiday favourite Elf, has decided to venture into less lighthearted territory. It was announced on Tuesday that Ferrell will star in and produce the feature film remake of the Netflix documentary The Legend of Cocaine Island, which was released on the streaming service in March after its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. The documentary tells the story of a man, Rodney Hyden, who learns of the legend of a buried stash of cocaine rumoured to be hidden in the Caribbean and worth $2 million. He sets off to uncover the buried treasure, despite having zero experience in running drugs. Watch the trailer for the documentary below:
Alongside Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and David Permut have signed on as producers of the feature film. Theo Love, who is credited as the director, as well as an editor and producer, of the documentary, will executive produce the remake along with Bryan Storkel. Peter Steinberg is set to pen the script.