Will Ferrell broke the bad news that “Anchorman 2″ is unlikely to ever happen. Ferrell told Entertainment Weekly that the studio is not loving the idea, despite the enthusiasm of the cast.

“Well, you know, yeah, it’s a little peculiar,” Ferrell, 43, told EW. “On the one hand, [we were] being begged to do a sequel for such a long time, and then we finally came up with a concept that we liked, we talked to all the guys, and everyone was up for it. And then to get the reaction we got, yeah, it’s slightly puzzling to us. But you know what? It’s also their money. They get to do or not do whatever they want. So we’ll see. We’re still going back and forth. Maybe there is a solution. Or, I know in talking to [co-writer/director Adam McKay], if it never happens, then it never happens. And that’s fine, too. So we’ll just see.”

No doubt “Anchorman” was funny, but do you think it really needs a sequel? Is there really anything to build on?

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The legendary Beastie Boys fought for their right to party nearly thirty years ago, yesterday they revisited their roots with more cameos than a season of “Entourage” would supply.

Short snippets of the video have been circulating around on TV and online, and the short-film does not disappoint. Featuring a battle-royale of sorts between the 1986 Beasties (Danny McBridge, Seth Rogan and Elijah Wood) dueling the future Beasties (John C. Reilly, Jack Black and Will Ferrell) and their acid-tripping rampage. Along the way, run in’s with various famous faces: Stanley Tucci, Jason Schwartzman, Susan Sarandon, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Bateman, Amy Poehler, David Cross, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, Rashida Jones, Rainn Wilson, Maya Rudolph and Chloe Sevigny. Oh yes, Orlando Bloom drops in for the shenanigans also.

Adam Yauch wrote and directed the footage of the trio’s short film and music video, in connection with his indie film company Oscilloscope Laboratories.

“Normally the song is king and the footage has to kind of bow down to it. With this I flipped it,” he said, explaining how he used sound effects and toyed with the track’s tempo to fit the narrative, such as it is.

The group’s ninth album, “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,” is due May 3.

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Jim Carrey is set to make a guest-appearance on the season 7 finale of “The Office” alongside the star-studded fiesta that includes Ricky Gervais, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, James Spader, Ray Romano and Catherine Tate.

We all know that this is the last season for Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott and the above-mentioned actors are all potential replacements to fill his management position at the beloved Dunder Mifflin. But, sorry to shatter the fantasy, but there is very little likeliness that any of these big names will reprise their roles after the finale.

In recent interviews, Gervais, who has co-created the series and its original British version, has said that Arnett should be made a regular character on the show. Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute, told Entertainment Weekly that Ferrell is “not expected to replace Carell on the show permanently”.

Should be an interesting toss-up and will definitely make for good television to see Ron Burgundy duke it out with Ace Ventura and Gob Bluth. Tune in next Thursday on NBC.

Who do you think would make the best boss?

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The legendary Beastie Boys have a new album “Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2″ coming out May 3rd, a new single and now a preview for the short film Fight for Your Right Revisited has hit the interweb.

Don’t like the Beasties? Well, check out the casting call: Elijah Wood, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, John C. Reilly, Seth Rogen, Jack Black, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jason Schwartzman, Adam Scott, Rainn Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny, Alicia Silverstone, Martin Starr, Ted Danson, Rashida Jones, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA.

The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival last month and received a mix of reviews. In the video, we find the Beastie Boys (Elijah Wood, Seth Rogan, Danny McBride)  in 1986 the day after the legendary “Fight for Your Right (To Party)” video took place. It is rumoured to be a long-running Saturday Night Live skit from there on out.

Judging by the preview, it appears to be some battle royale between past and present versions of the Beastie Boys. At the same time, it is between comedy of today versus yesterday. Some fascinating double-entendre, I do say.

Ch-ch-check it out!

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We hope this is for real!!

Perez Hilton reports that the Office’s most recent buzzed-about guest star, Will Ferrell, could be written into the show as a permanent character to replace Steve Carell. Ferrell confirmed the story with a reporter at last weekend’s Comedy awards, but we all know Will is the master of deadpan and could be totally joking about the whole thing!

Ferrell said: “Yes, I’m taking over. My character’s name is Deangelo Vickers, he loves the American Southwest, and he’s just kind of in his own way going to step into Michael Scott’s shoes and try to fill them. I’m friends with Steve and a fan of the show, and I just selfishly wanted to do one episode with him, and they pitched multiple ones, and I said, ‘That’d be great.’”

It’s impossible to tell whether Ferrell was being serious or not without some sort of footage, none of which has emerged just yet.

What do you think? Would you be stoked to see Will Ferrell become the new face of The Office?

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Earlier this year, it was announced that Will Ferrell (of Will Ferrell) landed a guest spot on The Office.

Ferrell is rumoured to play another branch manager from the home office that is just as incompetent and dumb witted as Steve Carell’s character, Michael Scott.

He agreed to the appearance to mark the loss of Carell’s farewell. The two have appeared together and harmonized over ‘Afternoon Delight’ in the comedy classic, Anchoman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. He will appear in four episodes, and Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute in the series, could not be happier.

“We’ve been doing a ton with Will Ferrell, and it is so cool,” he said. “I just keep thinking, ‘I’m acting with Will Ferrell! This is so awesome!’ And he’s the nicest guy: just a sweetheart and so much fun.”

Could Ferrell potentially replace Carell??

“He is the new manager that Michael Scott has brought in to replace him, but we kind of swiftly realise that that’s a terrible idea. Terrible,” Wilson reported to MTV News.

This could be very interesting.

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With the most beloved character, Michael Scott, and actor on ‘The Office,” Steve Carell, leaving NBC had to do something so that Carell will go out with a bang. Therefore, NBC hired on Will Ferrell to reunite with his Anchorman co-star for the end of the season.

According to InsideTV.EW.Com, Ferrell will have a four episode run and will be playing a branch manager who arrives from the home office and is entirely incompetent just like Michael Scott. Three episodes will feature both Carell and Farrell as Carell is leaving four episodes before the season’s finale.

We’ve seen the hilarity that ensues when Ferrell and Carell play alongside each other. “The Office” should prove to be no different as the actors have a natural comedic chemistry. Ferrell will also help to boost the shows ratings and perhaps draw an even bigger audience due to his popularity.

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Yes we are calling the “Today’s” show Halloween effort a “skit.” Why? Because it’s so pathetic and corny, you think it was made by junior high students.

However, in their defense, they did have a fairly impressive cast participating. But wait, shouldn’t that mean this performance should have been impressive? Nevertheless judge for yourself. The clip below includes Meredith Vieira as Lady Gaga, Al Roker as ‘Superman,’ Ann Curry as Amelia Earhart and Natalie Morales as Justin Bieber.

Also stopping by to join in on the fun: Will Ferrell and Tina Fey in their outfits for the film, “Megamind.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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On his final show Friday, The Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien thanked NBC for the 20 years he spent on the network, reports E! News.

“The terms of my settlement say that I can’t host another show for seven months,” O’Brien said. “So next week, look forward to the Andy Richter Show with his sidekick, me!”

Jay Leno will be returning next week to host the show.

Oprah Winfrey is interviewing Leno in Los Angeles for her Thursday show and has invited O’Brien to participate. It has not been reported whether he will accept her offer.

“As I set off for exciting new career opportunities, I just want to make one things clear to everyone listening out there: I will do nudity,” he said in his final monologue.

Steve Carell interviewed the exiting host, who then shared a diet cream soda toast with Tom Hanks.

“Yes, we have our differences right now, and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways,” said O’Brien in his address to the network. “But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world. I absolutely love doing it and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.”

He spent the last moments of the show jamming on the guitar with Will Ferrell taking the lead on “Free Bird.”

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Will Ferrell is slated to make his Broadway debut in a new one-person comedy titled “You’re Welcome America — A Final Night with George W. Bush.”

The production will be directed by the comedian’s FunnyOrDie.com partner Adam McKay, who also wrote and directed the Ferrell flicks “Step Brothers,” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

Not many details are available yet, but the New York Post reports that Ferrell’s show will be an autobiographical piece, reminiscent of Billy Crystal’s play “700 Sundays.”

Ferrell is also expected to reprise his famous Bush impersonation from “Saturday Night Live.”

The show will open at the Cort Theatre on Feb. 1, with previews starting on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

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Here’s the thing about Will Ferrell: I feel like I can’t say anything bad about him. As someone with a former “Saturday Night Live” obsession, I hold him in the highest regards. I still do impressions of his “Zoolander” and “Anchorman” characters.

But the fact is, he hasn’t made me laugh much lately. “Talledega Nights” was a brutal, laugh-free couple of hours for me; “Stranger Than Fiction” was cute enough, but not laugh-out-loud funny; and I didn’t even bother seeing “Blades of Glory” or “Semi-Pro.”

So when I say that “Step Brothers” is good, I really mean it.

It follows, of course, two middle-aged losers living at home and eating it up, having never really mentally grown past middle school. Their sad situation bonds their single parents, and the men quickly become siblings.

There is the mandatory phase of hatred and fighting, which is a great mix of childish behavior and actual violence. Mary Steenburgen delivers a great performance that’s actually pretty endearing as Ferrell’s supportive but frustrated mother. Eventually, after mutually terrible blows to the head, the pair realize their similarities and become best friends, becoming an unstoppable annoying force. Together, they drive their parents absolutely insane, ruining their happiness. The boys are then forced to get their act together to save their family.

The movie delivers tons of temper tantrums, beatings, underage bullies, and classic Ferrell and John C. Reilly lines. The dialogue is completely ridiculous but Ferrell and Reilly commit to it fully. That being said, some of the funniest moments are when they bring it down a little. The best part of the movie for me was when the two are verbally sparring at the dinner table and Reilly throws back the comment, “That’s so funny, the last time I heard that I fell off my dinosaur!” Instead of an over-the-top reaction, Ferrell makes a tiny wince of pain.

Another great thing about the movie is that they actually let a girl in on the comedy action. Adam McKay movies – and really, all of the big comedies coming out these days – are huge sausage fests that really use women as decorations. The women are always pretty to look at but always look like they’re trying very hard to “act”, instead of just going for it. But Katherine Hahn goes completely, 100 per cent balls out. She plays their sister-in-law who becomes sexually obsessed with Reilly’s character after he punches her husband in the face. Hahn is just as committed and nuts as the leads, and delivers truly some of the funniest moments of the film. Her sex scene with Reilly, where she basically lifts her leg up and steals his virginity, is hysterical.

While I did thoroughly enjoy the movie, there are inevitably some moments that fail. Making a young kid use a gay slur, for example, just isn’t really comedy to me. Heads up on extreme language as well; just in the beginning of the film they manage to use a long list of curse words in about 90 seconds.

Overall, the movie is definitely funny, which is all that matters. The soundtrack is good, the outfits are amazing; the pacing and storytelling are very smooth, if a little pointless. And Ferrell and Reilly manage to add in just enough charm to make you not want to punch them in the face the whole time for acting like 10-year-olds in desperate need of some Ritalin.

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Will Ferrell and “Hancock” writer Vince Gilligan are teaming up for the dramedy “2-Face.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ferrell is attached to star in the Columbia project as a man with a split personality: one part of him is racist, while the other part is extremely liberal.

The 41-year-old actor has reportedly been interested in Gilligan’s script for three years and is hoping to put the movie into production early next year, though a director is not yet attached.

Gilligan has a diverse list of credits to his name — besides penning the Will Smith blockbuster “Hancock,” he helped create and write for “The X-Files,” wrote the screenplay for the 1998 screwball comedy “Home Fries” and is the creator of AMC’s dark comedy/drama series “Breaking Bad.”

Ferrell, last seen on the big screen in “Semi-Pro,” will return to movie theatres in “Step Brothers,” which opens June 25.

As previously reported, he will also play Watson in Columbia’s recently announced Sherlock Holmes project, co-starring Sacha Baron Cohen as the iconic sleuth.

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Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell are joining forces again, this time for a comedic spin on a classic crime-fighting duo.

Variety reports that the pair, who played bickering racecar drivers in 2006′s “Talladega Nights,” will star in an as-yet-untitled Columbia Pictures comedy featuring super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes (to be played by Cohen) and his trusty sidekick Watson (Ferrell).

Etan Cohen, who co-wrote the upcoming “Tropic Thunder,” is penning the script, while Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller will produce. Apatow and Miller also produced “Talladega Nights.”

“Just the idea of Sacha and Will as Sherlock Holmes and Watson makes us laugh,” said Columbia co-president Matt Tolmach said in Variety Tuesday.

“Sacha and Will are two of the funniest and most talented guys on the planet, and having them take on these two iconic characters is frankly hilarious.”

Cohen and Ferrell’s Sherlock Holmes feature is one of two major studio projects in the works to be inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous literary character. Director Guy Ritchie and Warner Bros. are working on their own Holmes movie which focuses on the sleuth’s boxing and swordsmanship skills.

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The funniest man in the world has a new audience member.

Will Ferrell and his wife of six years, Viveca Paulin, welcomed their second son into the world on Dec. 30.

Mattias Ferrell was born around 2 a.m.

They have a two-year-old son, Magnus.

Ferrell’s next film, the skating movie “Blades of Glory,” is expected to be released in March.

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OutKast’s Andre Benjamin – AKA Andre 3000 – is set to put another movie credit to his name. The hip-hop star has signed on to star in a basketball comedy called “Semi-Pro” with Will Ferrell.

Set in the 1970s, Benhamin will play a star basketball player who is also an expert on wooing the ladies. His coach/team owner/player is Jackie Moon, played by Ferrell. The two are part of the fictional team Flint Michigan Tropics of the American Basketball Association.

Also starring in the New Line Cinemas picture is Woody Harrelson. Directing for the first time will be Kent Alterman.

This holiday season, Benjamin is voicing the character of Elwyn in “Charlotte’s Web,” based on the popular children’s novel by E.B. White.

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Let’s not mince words: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a terrible movie. The plot is forced, the situations hackneyed, the sheer amount of product placement (even for a film about NASCAR racing) is atrocious, and the characters are unbelievably inconsistent.

But it’s funny.

Will Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby begins as a boy so obsessed with speed, he grabs his mom’s car at the age of five and takes it onto the highway. He’s so obsessed with winning that at the age of ten, when he sees his absentee father (Gary Coleman) for the first time in eight years, he takes his alcohol-fueled advice – “if you’re not first, you’re last” – 100% literally. He’s laughed at, of course, by his classmates, except for best friend Cal Naughton Jr. (who grows up to be played by John C. Reilly), but twenty-odd years later, he’s a NASCAR racing legend. His signature move is the “slingshot”: Cal (who’s also a racer) gets to the number 2 or number 3 position, allows Ricky to drive ahead of him, pushes him along for a bit with the front of his bumper (unlike Cars, don’t expect accuracy in this movie), and finally allows him to take off with a burst of such speed he always takes number one (Cal comes in at number two). He marries the first woman who flashes him, will promote anything (and I mean anything - even tampons), sign anything (including babies), and allows his sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, to do and say whatever the hell they want. Including the phrase “whatever the hell we want.” (There’s a great scene where his wife’s father is complaining about how awful the boys are turning out and his wife, played by Leslie Bibb, fires back, “if we wanted sissies, we’d a’ named ‘em Dr. Quinn an’ Medicine Woman.”)

In short, he begins as the sort of man who could only count to #1.

Of course, the plot is incidental in this movie. Like Anchorman, it’s really just an excuse for Ferrell, director Adam McKay, and their latest company to string several written and improvised jokes along (one of the best, surprisingly, comes from Michael Clarke Duncan, and is played as an outtake over the credits), like a NASCAR themed episode of Saturday Night Live. As with SNL, some of it works, some of it doesn’t. Happily, unlike SNL, most of it does. And since the joy in watching Talledega Nights is in watching those jokes unfold, I won’t spoil any more of them for you. I will, however, say in advance that like Anchorman, many of the jokes in the trailer aren’t in the movie (happily, my favourite, “you gotta feel the road,” is), and I will commend Farrell and co. for not constantly thinking below the waist in their humour (the only major one, with Molly Shannon getting off on the rumblings at the track, was quite a hit with the women in the audience).

I will also spend one more paragraph talking about the plot. It’s terrible. Well, it’s not terrible so much as it doesn’t make any internal sense. Watching this movie, I could picture Ferrell and McKay (credited as the screenwriters, though it’s obvious much of it was improvised) attacking the characters with large mallets: “stop being original, you idiots! Obey your conventions!” Unlike Anchorman, Ricky’s “story” takes centre stage more often than you’d think, and notice I said he “begins” as the sort of man who could only count to #1. Through a contrivance which I won’t reveal but thought was a dream sequence until the movie kept going, he loses faith in himself, moves in with his mother (Jane Lynch, Steve Carrell’s horny manager in The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and has to be re-trained by his father (hence the “you gotta feel the road” sequence). There are double crosses, inspiring speeches, a teeth-gnashing villain (a gay Frenchman played by Sacha Baron Cohen, AKA Ali G), and a climatic showdown, but the shifting allegiances and motivations of the characters are unbelievable. On some level, of course, Ferrell and co. are poking fun at all the hoary old genre conventions; on the other hand, wouldn’t it have been nice if these broad (and often original) characters had stayed true to themselves, instead of giving into their stereotypes? (The possible exception is Gary Coleman, terrific and almost unrecognizable as Ricky’s father.) Staying true to the offbeat characters still would have made for a relatively solid, conventional (in a satiric way), and entertaining movie. Through more than half the film I could feel the plot’s wheels grinding. The humour isn’t always distracting enough.

Ultimately, though, Talladega Nights is a successful Will Ferrell comedy. You know if you’re willing to put up with this kind of weirdness, and whether or not the guy makes you laugh. If he doesn’t, you’ve already made the decision to avoid this movie. If he does, you’ll have a good time.
3.5*

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What?s the deal with Will Ferrell?

I mean, I know he?s popular but I had no idea how popular he really is.

You probably haven?t fully reflected on just how popular he really is either, so let me tell you.

In the month of October, Will Ferrell stars in three different movies being released on DVD.

He will be in a total of six movies this year, starring in three of them, and having strong supporting roles in the other ones.

So why then don?t any of his films get good reviews?
Of the three that come out on DVD this month, reviewers panned three.

Everyone agrees that Old School was hilarious, and he was one of the prime reasons why it was so funny.

Most people agree that Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was good too.

And his sketch comedy on Saturday Night Live is beyond reproach.

So why then don?t any of his films get good reviews?

My theory is that Ferrell is funny for three or four minutes at a time, but when forced to be funny and entertaining for a whole movie, his comedic style fades quickly.

Moreover, in the movies he stars in, the director is too reliant on Ferrell to keep the movie moving and keep it funny.

In Elf, and Anchorman, and Kicking & Screaming, it?s basically just him onscreen for two hours.

So about an hour into each of these movies, you find yourself asking yourself, ?Didn?t he just make a joke like that 25 minutes ago??

The best films for Ferrell seem to be those ones where he?s not at the center of attention.

In SNL skits, he was on camera for relatively short periods of time and was playing off other equally funny comedians.

In Old School he was crazy funny man while Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn kept the plot moving.

In Austin Powers, Zoolander, Starsky & Hutch, and Wedding Crashers, Ferrell is onscreen briefly.

In each case, he?s hilarious for those four or five minutes he?s onscreen.

The future looks good for Ferrell.

We can look forward to five more movies featuring Ferrell by the end of 2006, including his voice talents as the Man in the Yellow Hat for an animated version of Curious George.

The one I?m most looking forward to has to be Joan of Bark: the Dog That Saved France.

I swear I?m not making it up, and while it?s still in pre-production, apparently Ferrell is starring in this satire, which is written and directed by David Mament.

If it ever gets made, I?ll be only too excited to see it.
If you want to see something good with Ferrell in it, rent Melinda & Melinda, which comes out this Tuesday.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, it?s more than a bit pretentious in parts and definitely not his best work, but it?s fun.

The premise is that the same basic story can either be comedic or tragic depending on your outlook and then Allen proceeds to cut between Melinda in a romantic comedy and Melinda in a romantic tragedy.

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Here’s the best news you’ve heard since Fox announced plans to release a Family Guy movie: there is going to be another Old School.

Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong, the genius writing team behind the 2003 instant classic, have teamed up again to create the sequel.

DreamWorks has given them the green light to make the movie, and there’s little surprise there. After all, Old School grossed more than $74 million at the box office in the U.S. alone.

Expect to see Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson in the sequel, but no actors have been confirmed as of the announcement.

Phillips will also direct.

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