Will Ferrell has starred in some of people's favorite comedies of the last 25 years, but his latest movie, Will & Harper, sees him appearing just as himself connecting with his long-time friend Harper Steele as they embark on a cross-country road trip after Steele came out as a trans woman.
Netflix acquired the documentary after it premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it earned rave reviews. Now Netflix looks to position it as one of its big fall movies hitting the streaming service, but also possibly as an Oscar contender.
We've got everything you need to know about Will & Harper right here so you can be ready to watch it.
Will & Harper release date
Netflix will release Will & Harper on the streaming service on Friday, September 27, worldwide; you'll need to subscribe to a Netflix plan to watch. However, the movie is going to be getting a limited release in movie theaters sometime in September (an exact date is not available at this time).
September is looking to be a good month for high-profile documentaries, as Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is also debuting during the month.
Will & Harper premise
Ferrell and Steele first met when they were working at Saturday Night Live, with Steele known as Andrew Steele at the time. Their friendship grew over the years, but Steele's true self remained a secret until she decided to officially transition in recent years. This documentary will see the two friends bond as they set out on a new stage in their relationship. Here's the official synopsis:
"When Will Ferrell's good friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, comes out as a trans woman, the pair embark on a road trip to process this new stage in their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country she loves as her authentic self."
Will & Harper cast
Front and center in the documentary are Ferrell and Steele. Ferrell is of course best known for his movies like Old School, Elf, Talladega Nights, The Other Guys, Anchorman and, more recently, Barbie. Steele, meanwhile, was always been behind the scenes as a writer, including being the head writer on Saturday Night Live from 2004-2008. In addition to SNL, Ferrell and Steele worked together on projects like Casa di me Padre, A Deadly Adoption and Funny or Die online skits.
Netflix teases that some other Saturday Night Live alums and friends of Ferrell and Steele might (emphasis there) appear in the movie.
Will & Harper trailer
Watch the trailer for Will & Harper right here:
Will & Harper reviews
We already mentioned the strong reviews Will & Harper got from its screening at film festivals in 2024. As of publication (September 5), the movie has a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is being described as "endearing and heartfelt."
Josh Greenbaum movies
Josh Greenbaum is the director of Will & Harper. Greenbaum's biggest credits have been for recent comedies like Ferrell's Strays, but he has experience with documentaries, including Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show. Here's a whole look at his list of feature-directing credits:
- The Short Game (2013)
- Becoming Bond (2017)
- Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show (2017)
- Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
- Strays (2023)
