Yep. This is going to be awesome.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

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Adam McKay has made many funny films, but I think he'd be the first to admit that there is something special about "Anchorman."

Part of that is the script, which might be the most unfettered bit of madness that McKay and Will Ferrell have put together so far, a celebration of a breed of glorious idiot that is far too rare today.  Part of that is the ensemble, packed with actors who were all completely in tune with the weird reality of the film, all of them free to try almost anything in front of the camera.  And part of it is because broadcast news is so preposterously silly, especially on the local level, that you barely have to exaggerate to make it work.

I thought one of the best things about the film was the way they suggested the '70s in little details like the non-stop littering or the smoking in public, accentuating some of the worst of the decade with glee.  When the sequel arrives in theaters in December, I'm excited to see how they have moved the cast up to the '80s, and it sounds like they are indeed dealing with the rise of the 24-hour-a-day news cycle thanks to the advent of the cable news networks.

There's a Ted Turner-esque character in the film who they're trying to get Jeff Bridges onboard to play, and today, it appears they've landed Harrison Ford to play the veteran anchor who Ron Burgundy finds himself at odds with in the film.  That's in addition to the hot new anchor who will most likely be played by James Marsden and Kristen Wiig's character, rumored to be Brick's wife, who Adam McKay described as "dangerous" in a recent Tweet.

Obviously Ford played a news anchor a few years ago in "Morning Glory," but what I love about this casting for this film is that he's a perfect foil for the sort of insane energy of the rest of the cast, and I can't wait to see how Ford deals with Brick Tamland or Champ Kind or Ron Burgundy himself.

It seems wildly appropriate that they're going to be shooting in Atlanta for this one.  And if you'd like to hear what Steve Carrell had to say about the table read they did last week, I'll have that video for you in just a few.

"Anchorman 2" is set for release on December 20, 2013.

Drew McWeeny
Film Editor

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A respected critic and commentator for fifteen years, Drew McWeeny helped create the online film community as "Moriarty" at Ain't It Cool News, and now proudly leads two budding Film Nerds in their ongoing movie education.