Adam McKay is weighing in on the controversy surrounding a certain script featuring Ronald Reagan that caused a sh*tstorm of epic proportions.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McKay expressed disappointment with the instant pushback the project received. The screenplay presents the concept of Ronald Reagan battling dementia and needing to be convinced he’s doing a movie to get through the second term. Will Ferrell was said to be attached to play Reagan (that was axed pretty quickly) and both he and McKay would produce the project. Critics of the project considered the film to be cruel, but McKay told THR that he was surprised that was the sentiment the project generated despite the lack of details that was provided for public consumption.
“We were all taken aback,” McKay explains of the instant firestorm. “It was weird. It seemed like everyone piled on it without knowing at all what the script was about. The reason we even looked at the script is because it’s actually really thoughtful and it had some sensitivity to the subject.”
It’s unclear if the film will ever be made, but if that’s the case, this is the sort of thing that morphs into an object of Hollywood lore. In the minds of its detractors, Reagan plays out like a horrorshow. For its champions, Reagan crackles with originality and heart. We’ll just have to wait and see what the verdict is, provided the project shifts from legend to an actual motion picture.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
