Adam McKay offers new details about his fallout with former producing partner Will Ferrell: 'Will was very hurt that I wasn't the one to call him'

By BRIAN GALLAGHER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

Filmmaker Adam McKay opened up about the end of his partnership with comedian Will Ferrell back in November, though now he has revealed even more details.

The 53-year-old director had been working with Ferrell for 25 years when their partnership came to an end over casting in McKay's new HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, debuting March 3.

McKay revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that it was his failure to reach out to Ferrell before casting their longtime friend John C. Reilly that ended the partnership and friendship.

Opening up: Filmmaker Adam McKay opened up about the end of his partnership with comedian Will Ferrell back in November, though now he has revealed even more details

Opening up: Filmmaker Adam McKay opened up about the end of his partnership with comedian Will Ferrell back in November, though now he has revealed even more details

Old partners: The 53-year-old director had been working with Ferrell for 25 years when their partnership came to an end over casting in McKay's new HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, debuting March 3

Old partners: The 53-year-old director had been working with Ferrell for 25 years when their partnership came to an end over casting in McKay's new HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, debuting March 3

Ferrell, who went to school at USC and was a massive Los Angeles Lakers fan, was said to have really wanted the role of Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

When McKay got the pilot script from creators Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, he ended up tapping Michael Shannon to play Dr. Buss.

McKay and Shannon had known each other for over 25 years, with his wife Shira Piven having worked with the actor back in Chicago.

Huge fan: Ferrell, who went to school at USC and was a massive Los Angeles Lakers fan, was said to have really wanted the role of Lakers owner Jerry Buss

Huge fan: Ferrell, who went to school at USC and was a massive Los Angeles Lakers fan, was said to have really wanted the role of Lakers owner Jerry Buss

Real Dr. Buss: When McKay got the pilot script from creators Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, he ended up tapping Michael Shannon to play Dr. Buss

Real Dr. Buss: When McKay got the pilot script from creators Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, he ended up tapping Michael Shannon to play Dr. Buss

McKay said that, 'Will was good with it,' regarding Shannon's casting, though Shannon was having trouble with the role.

'It really bugged Michael that we were breaking the fourth wall,' McKay said of the format where the actor speaks directly into the camera/to the viewer.

'He kept saying, "I don’t like this. It throws me. I’m having a hard time,"' McKay added, with Shannon ultimately dropping out of the project just a week before the pilot was set to shoot.

Bugged: 'It really bugged Michael that we were breaking the fourth wall,' McKay said of the format where the actor speaks directly into the camera/to the viewer

Bugged: 'It really bugged Michael that we were breaking the fourth wall,' McKay said of the format where the actor speaks directly into the camera/to the viewer

Shannon also dropped out shortly after McKay and Ferrell dissolved their Gary Sanchez Productions Company in 2019, with McKay taking Winning Time to his new company, Hyperobject Industries.

McKay needed someone to step in and play Dr. Buss, and instead of going to Ferrell, he went to his Step Brothers co-star John C. Reilly.

'I told him, "We’re in a weird spot here, but I’m directing the pilot and I think you’d destroy this,"' McKay said, adding he gave Reilly just 48 hours to decide.

Dissolved: Shannon also dropped out shortly after McKay and Ferrell dissolved their Gary Sanchez Productions Company in 2019, with McKay taking Winning Time to his new company, Hyperobject Industries.

Dissolved: Shannon also dropped out shortly after McKay and Ferrell dissolved their Gary Sanchez Productions Company in 2019, with McKay taking Winning Time to his new company, Hyperobject Industries.

Reilly said it would take him just two hours to read the pilot script and sign on for the role, but before he did that, he reached out to Ferrell, which essentially marked the end of Ferrell and McKay's partnership and friendship.

'It was at this weird moment where Will and I weren’t exactly hugging each other, even though there was nothing that terrible, and he called Will and said, "Hey, McKay just came to me with this." And Will was very hurt that I wasn’t the one to call him, and I should have. I f***ed up,' McKay explained.

Reilly would only add, 'Will is one of my best friends, Adam is one of my best friends, I was delighted to get the job and that’s all I really have to say.'

Hours: Reilly said it would take him just two hours to read the pilot script and sign on for the role, but before he did that, he reached out to Ferrell, which essentially marked the end of Ferrell and McKay's partnership and friendship

Hours: Reilly said it would take him just two hours to read the pilot script and sign on for the role, but before he did that, he reached out to Ferrell, which essentially marked the end of Ferrell and McKay's partnership and friendship

Hurt: 'It was at this weird moment where Will and I weren¿t exactly hugging each other, even though there was nothing that terrible, and he called Will and said, "Hey, McKay just came to me with this." And Will was very hurt that I wasn¿t the one to call him, and I should have. I f***ed up,' McKay explained

Hurt: 'It was at this weird moment where Will and I weren’t exactly hugging each other, even though there was nothing that terrible, and he called Will and said, "Hey, McKay just came to me with this." And Will was very hurt that I wasn’t the one to call him, and I should have. I f***ed up,' McKay explained

John adds: Reilly would only add, 'Will is one of my best friends, Adam is one of my best friends, I was delighted to get the job and that¿s all I really have to say'

John adds: Reilly would only add, 'Will is one of my best friends, Adam is one of my best friends, I was delighted to get the job and that’s all I really have to say'

Ferrell first discussed the split back in October, when promoting his Apple series The Shrink Next Door, though he didn't mention anything about Winning Time.

'Adam was like, "I want to do this, and this, and this"; he wanted growth and a sphere of influence, and I was just like, "I don’t know, that sounds like a lot that I have to keep track of,"' Ferrell said.

'To me, the potential of seeing a billboard, and being like: "Oh, we’re producing that?" I don’t know. … At the end of the day, we just have different amounts of bandwidth,' he added.

Will's side: Ferrell first discussed the split back in October, when promoting his Apple series The Shrink Next Door, though he didn't mention anything about Winning Time

Will's side: Ferrell first discussed the split back in October, when promoting his Apple series The Shrink Next Door, though he didn't mention anything about Winning Time

Bandwith: 'To me, the potential of seeing a billboard, and being like: "Oh, we¿re producing that?" I don¿t know. ¿ At the end of the day, we just have different amounts of bandwidth,' he added

Bandwith: 'To me, the potential of seeing a billboard, and being like: "Oh, we’re producing that?" I don’t know. … At the end of the day, we just have different amounts of bandwidth,' he added

HBOWill Ferrell

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