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Adam McKay Details 'Turkey Bowl' and Alec Baldwin Joining the Cast

by Ethan Anderton
May 19, 2011
Source: EW

Earlier this week we learned about a new comedy that would reunite The Other Guys stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. At the time we heard the film was called Turkey Bowl, but producer Adam McKay (who directed the aforementioned action comedy) says that an independent film just got picked up with the same title, and their new working title for the film is Three Mississippi. In addition, McKay had plenty more details to reveal to EW including Alec Baldwin joining the cast of the story about football-obsessed towns who lead rival teams in an annual tackle football game for bragging and trash-talking rights.

First of all, McKay detailed the story even further, and laid out what roles Baldwin, Wahlberg and Ferrell would play in the film, and it just sounds absolutely hilarious:

"It’s about these two rival families from — we’re thinking Philadelphia but we need to check in with Wahlberg and Ferrell and see what kind of accents they want to do. [Laughs] Alec Baldwin is the patriarch of one of the families, and Wahlberg is his son. He saw the Kennedys playing football on their front lawn at Thanksgiving, and boom, that’s it: 'Anything the Kennedys do, we’re doing.' His family starts playing the other family that lives across the park from them. Over the years, Baldwin’s family hasn’t done too well — they own a crappy little bar in town — while the other family, which Will’s character eventually becomes the patriarch of, becomes really successful. The game gets nastier and nastier as the years go on, and Ferrell’s family starts just destroying the other family. After a massive heart attack, Baldwin’s character’s dying wish is that his estranged son, Mark, take over the game and finally win one. So Wahlberg has to put this ramshackle, convict, gambling-addict family back together again and beat the richies."

Previously we'd mentioned that there was the potential for a whole load of cameos, but it also sounds like the film will simply be a huge ensemble comedy with the potential for an assortment of talent including familiar collaborators and a certain actor who I would love to see in a comedy like this. McKay says:

"The whole spirit of it is that it’s just a giant, fun ensemble comedy. We want to populate it with people we love. There’s a funny subplot with Rob Riggle where he’s a gay cousin that Wahlberg’s family sort of turned their backs on but he played football at Fresno State and they need him. We’re going to try to get Jeremy Renner to play an ex-con. The idea is to bring in, like, 15 people that we love in and just do a big, funny holiday movie."

McKay seems like he's pretty deep in the flick, and since he's worked with Wahlberg and Ferrell before, you'd think he'd be in line to direct the film in addition to producing through his Gary Sanchez production banner. But it sounds like the director is more interested in getting his adaptation of the comic book The Boys off the ground instead. He says:

"I mean, I always like to reserve that right, since it’s our company. I have this other project [the comic-book adaptation The Boys], but you never know. If we could shoot this thing next spring, with a tight post-production, we could roll it out for that following Thanksgiving. That would be the optimistic, everything-goes-well schedule, which we think we have a chance to hit, given what a fun idea this is."

Very rarely do I get excited about comedies based on the concept alone, but this just sounds like there's the potential for so much fun with a huge cast, that I can't wait to see who else gets in on the fun. In addition, knowing how well Wahlberg and Baldwin played off each other in The Departed, it would be awesome if they made the family from Boston just to get that dynamic between then again. Honestly, I'm already foaming at the mouth for this project to come together. How about you?

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