4 Cast members added to Will Ferrell's NASCAR movie, plus plot details

Aug. 12, 2005

Crew of four on fast track to Ferrell film

Sacha Baron Cohen, John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan and Gary Cole have signed on to star in the untitled Will Ferrell NASCAR comedy for Columbia Pictures. The story follows Ricky Bobby (Ferrell), a world-class race car driver and fan favorite. Cohen, hot off the success of his HBO comedy series "Da Ali G Show," will play Jean Girard, a gay, French Formula One driver who comes to the U.S. to conquer NASCAR and defeat Ferrell. Reilly, who is filming Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion," will play Cal Naughton, Ferrell's boyhood friend who together with Ferrell forms "Thunder & Lightning," the most feared racing duo in NASCAR.

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NASCAR Pic Picks Crew

John C. Reilly and Michael Clarke Duncan, both Oscar nominees, are among those to join the cast of Will Ferrell's untitled NASCAR comedy.


By Mark Umbach

Will Ferrell is building his pit crew. Da Ali G Show's Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole and Oscar nominees John C. Reilly and Michael Clarke Duncan will join Ferrell in an untitled NASCAR comedy for Sony Pictures and helmer Adam McKay, who directed Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Production on the NASCAR project is slated to begin next month.

From a story by Ferrell and McKay, the film stars Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, an all-or-nothing NASCAR driver who either races to first place or doesn't finish the race at all. Fed up with his antics, Bobby's team's owner brings in Jean Girard (Cohen), a gay French driver who comes Stateside to dominate NASCAR and quickly becomes Bobby's archrival.

Cole joins the cast as Bobby's estranged father Reese Bobby, who comes back into Ricky's life. Reilly will play Cal Naughton Jr., Bobby's long-time friend and, with Bobby, one half of the Thunder and Lightning NASCAR racing duo; the most feared duo in the entire sport. Duncan comes on board as Bobby's crew chief Lucius Washington.

Producing the project are Ferrell's Mosaic Media manager Jimmy Miller and Anchorman producer Judd Apatow. Ferrell and McKay will get executive producing credits.

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Yup, he's a funny guy though. He's the voice of Birdman too.

 

It was, but then it turned out to be cheaper to film in Charlotte. I guess they don't want to disrespect NC by making them stand in for Alabama, so the movie's name was dropped and I imagine the setting as well.