Will Ferrell pitched a sitcom about astronauts with the “tone of Anchorman” that got picked up for a pilot by NBC.

Will Ferrell To Play Astronaut On TV

Like Anchorman, the potential hit titled Mission Control will take place in the past, kicking off in 1962, reported The Hollywood Reporter. According to the official description, it will be, “A workplace ensemble in the tone of Anchorman [that] examines what happens when a strong woman butts heads with a macho astronaut in the race to land on the moon.”

Apparently the idea of Ferrell playing an astronaut has been floating around since 2006 when Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby hit theaters. Adam McKay, who directed Ferrell in both Anchorman and Talladega Nights, said that they were looking to do a third film about the “mediocre American man” who thinks he’s more important than he is.

Adam McKay On Will Ferrell

“Will playing prideful, mediocre guys is a joke we never get tired of. Will plays unearned hubris better than anyone,” McKay told Chud.com. “We have two ideas. The first idea we had was him as a CEO, but that seems to be fading. We had CEO, we had him as an astronaut and now we have a third one, which is the one we’re kind of leaning towards, but I won’t say it. We haven’t sold the pitch yet, so if I say it, it could let the air out.”

Both McKay and Ferrell are listed as executive producers for the Mission Control pilot. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia's David Hornsby will serve as the sitcom’s showrunner.

NBC has also ordered pilots for marriage comedy Love is Relative and post-dramatic weight-loss sitcom Ellen More or Less from New Girl writer J.J. Philbin.

– Chelsea Regan

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