'What the world needs': Netflix picks up Will Ferrell doc about road trip with his 62-year-old transgender best friend

Celebrated comedic actor Will Ferrell has sold a new documentary called "Will & Harper" to Netflix after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film, which reportedly received multiple standing ovations at its showings, follows Ferrell and his near-elderly transgender friend Andrew Steele, who now goes by Harper Steele.

The duo travels across the United States for 17 days from New York to California, stopping at NBA games, bars, and other locations where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable while pretending to be a woman.

As Variety reported, Steele declared that he was a woman in 2022 after a lengthy career as a comedic writer. His writing credits include "The Ladies Man," and Ferrell's "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga."

The documentary includes cameos by several "Saturday Night Live" alumni such as Tina Fey and Molly Shannon. Ferrell and Steele met on the famous New York production in the mid-1990s.

The 62-year-old Steele has no acting credits to his name, but that didn't stop the documentary from fielding interest from several buyers before it was sold to Netflix for an undisclosed price.

"I had met trans people, but I didn’t have anyone personally in my life," Ferrell told Variety. "So this was all new territory for me. It’s a chance for us in the cis community to ask questions, listen and be there as a friend to discuss this journey."

He also admitted that he had "baseline" or "zero" knowledge about transgenderism before his friend Steele decided he was a woman.

Steele said the film's inspiration came from the idea that the rights of those who are non-heterosexual are under attack in the United States, with Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge claiming the film is "what the world needs now."

"‘Will & Harper’ earns that distinction. Struggling to recognize her own beauty in a society that often seems determined to deny her identity altogether, Steele brings the trans experience down to earth," the critic added.

The writer was asked if there was ever a point in the film where he felt "legitimately fearful" while seeking acceptance as a woman.

"No ... there is a moment where I felt very creeped out, I don't know what the word is. I never felt unsafe, I was with Will, which makes things safer," Steele replied.

Ferrell reportedly broke down in tears in multiple parts of the film and also cried during remarks after the documentary screening.

While reportedly capturing emotional conversations about being transgender, the film also managed to plug in what sound like sponsored comical gags involving Pringles, costumes, and a trip to Dunkin' Donuts.

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