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WILL FERRELL AND RACHEL MCADAMS bid for Eurovision glory Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
NEW Genre: Comedy Available: Friday 26 June Runs: 122min TVSW says: An affectionate send-up
THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST is the perfect backdrop for a feel-good story, but how do you replicate one of the world’s biggest live television events in a studio in Hertfordshire?
For the team behind Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, written by Will Ferrell and Andrew Steele, the answer was film some of the footage at the actual Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019.
‘They let us on stage right before the show,’ reveals director David Dobkin. ‘So we were able to film our biggest songs with our lights and cameras running in the real contest.’
The film follows Icelandic duo Fire Saga, AKA Lars Erickssong (Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Spotlight’s Rachel Mcadams), as they launch their unlikely bid to represent their country at Eurovision. The genesis of the project owes much to the family of Ferrell’s wife, Swedish actor Viveca Paulin.
JAW-DROPPING SPECTACLE
‘Twenty years ago, we were visiting my wife’s family in Sweden,’ says Ferrell. ‘One evening, her cousin said, ‘Shall we watch Eurovision?’ We proceeded to sit there for three straight hours while my mouth was slack-jawed. It was the craziest thing I’d ever seen: the spectacle, the humour, the camp and then the music. It was so intoxicating.’
In the film, Demi Lovato and Dan Stevens play rival artists aiming for the top prize. Professionals recorded some tracks – the song Volcano Man sees Mcadams lip-syncing to the vocals of Swedish singer Molly Sandén – but the actors did a lot of their own singing.
‘It was nerve-racking,’ says Mcadams. ‘But I got to work with an amazing singing coach, Eric Vetro, who works with Ariana Grande.’
While Eurovision purists might be wary about a Hollywood send-up of the contest, Ferrell was keen to capture the show’s appeal.
‘We really owed it to the fans to make sure it was well-observed,’ he says. ‘Eurovision songs can be silly, but they’re catchy and that’s what we were aiming for. Fire Saga has some appropriately good-bad songs.’
The film’s devotion to authenticity even extends as far as getting regular host Graham Norton to play himself. And in the wake of this year’s contest being cancelled due to coronavirus, The Story of Fire Saga can help keep fans happy until the contest returns.
‘I think people are looking for anything new in the comedy stakes,’ says Ferrell, 52. ‘And this movie has a real sweetness about it.’