Why was Will Ferrell in a Lifetime movie?

While A Deadly Adoption is undeniably a satire of the movies Lifetime is best known for, there is no winking at the camera, nothing too over the top, and no moment where the film truly segues into pure camp. "We played it 100% straight," Lowndes said. "I think that [with] anything comedic, the more the character and actor cares about something, the funnier it appears to be."

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Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig starred in 2015 Lifetime film
Ferrell explains how his team was against ‘A Deadly Adoption’
Fans can still watch Ferrell’s Lifetime movie

The tone is one Ferrell worked very hard to cultivate, both on screen and on set. "I was surprised to see how determined he was to make it as real and intense as possible in every moment," Lowndes said of her co-star and boss. "He wanted it to be as serious as possible so it felt like any other Lifetime movie — this one just happened to star Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig."

And Lowndes knows a thing or two about Lifetime movies, having starred in 2006's To Have and to Hold and 2012's A Mother's Nightmare, roles that landed her the job in the first place. Lowndes — who played Adrianna Tate-Duncan, the drug addict turned teen mother on The CW's 90210 — was offered the part in September 2014 and, after signing the ironclad NDA, she went about filming the movie around Los Angeles in the fall of 2014. "We just slipped under the radar," she said of the unassuming production. "Secret movies are so hard, but we pulled it off."

The secrecy surrounding A Deadly Adoption carried through until the film actually aired on June 20: The cast and crew were not allowed to give interviews and press was not given access to screeners, so the first time Lowndes saw the film was with all of America. "I was with a huge group of people and … what I love is that people didn't know if they should laugh or take it seriously," she said. "One person would laugh, then the drama sucks you in and everyone is staring at the TV and they're mad when there's a commercial break."

For Lowndes, that contradiction is undeniable proof that A Deadly Adoption accomplished its goal. "That response is exactly what we wanted it to be," she said, with a laugh. "This was not meant to be a comedy, [but] I definitely knew what we were [making]."

Former Saturday Night Live cast members Will Ferrell and Maya Rudolph paid a visit to Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live on Sunday night to promote their respective new films.

During the course of the cordial interview with host Andy Cohen, the Daddy’s Home star admitted that the Lifetime movie that he starred in alongside fellow SNL alum Kristen Wiig was in fact a spoof. The revelation came in response to a viewer question regarding the Lifetime TV movie A Deadly Adoption, that asked:

“Can you please help me understand A Deadly Adoption? I was waiting for it to be funny, but it was a legitimate Lifetime drama. Was that the intention?”

Apparently not, as the comedian explained with a laugh. “If you think it was legit, you are sorely mistaken,” he said. Ferrell explained he wanted to do a Lifetime movie that just played it straight, which Wiig was game for, resulting in a lot of confusion from viewers, but he ultimately admitted the project was a spoof.

The pair managed to fool audiences with A Deadly Adoption – the tale of a couple who take in the birth mother of the child they are about to adopt, with deadly results – which was met with bewilderment from viewers and critics alike, including a New York Times reviewer that Ferrell mentioned on WWHL who’s “head was exploding.”

Neil Genzlinger, the critic in question, dismissed the film as a “mediocre Lifetime movie,” and had particularly harsh words for Ferrell, who he called “painful to watch” due to his inability to have a “convincing ‘serious’ or ‘distressed’ or ‘remorseful’ look in his arsenal, all of which this script required.” Genzlinger concluded:

“It was impossible to watch this movie and not expect it to turn into a sendup of Lifetime’s usual women-and-children-in-jeopardy dramas. Too bad it didn’t; that could have been pretty funny. But the sendup never came, and once you accepted that Mr. Ferrell and Ms. Wiig were playing it straight, you also realized that the movie wasn’t very good even by Lifetime standards, which are not exactly lofty. It was full of suspense-movie tropes and clunky dialogue, served on a bare-bones budget.”

However, Ferrell’s admission stands in contrast to Wiig’s denial that Deadly Adoption was a Lifetime movie parody. The actress told USA Today a month after the film’s debut:

“I never saw it as a parody. We just really wanted to do it and Andrew (Steele) wrote it. It just worked out and we had so much fun. Yeah, that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to make a Lifetime movie.”

Ferrell and Rudolph’s appearance on Watch What Happens Live also included a re-creation of a scene from Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which featured the duo delivering hilarious impersonations of two the show’s cast members – Kenya Moore and Sheree Whitfield – during an increasingly heated argument:

Will Ferrell’s new comedy Daddy’s Home co-starring Mark Wahlberg hits theaters on Christmas Day, while Rudolph stars in the Amy Poehler-Tina Fey film Sisters, which opened this weekend. Meanwhile, Cohen will celebrate the holidays on Watch What Happens Live tonight with a special episode featuring actress Jennifer Lawrence.

When Will Ferrell’s name is mentioned in conversations, it’s typically because of his comedic gems. He’s given the world Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Talladega Nights, Anchorman, Zoolander, Elf, and more.

Stepping into a serious drama is not out of Ferrell’s reach, but it is a rare find. That’s why when he decided to tackle a Lifetime movie role, people didn’t know if his intentions were to create a spoof or kill time. Even Ferrell’s team batted an eye of disbelief.

Will Ferrell | Roy Rochlin/WireImage/Getty Images

Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig starred in 2015 Lifetime film

Lifetime has its special brand of cinematic classics where the plot gives itself away in the title. When Ferrell and fellow Saturday Night Live alum Kristen Wiig teamed up for their own movie on the network, they stuck to the formula. A Deadly Adoption — billed as a “based on a true story” flick — aired in 2015.

The film featured Ferrell and Wiig as a married couple who take in a pregnant woman (played by Jessica Lowndes) with plans to adopt the child. Of course, things go left.

Though Ferrell and Wiig performed it straight and without a hint of comedy, viewers and critics were unsure whether it was pure satire. It lives on as one of Ferrell’s most unconventional projects, and he loves it. According to Deadline, he told a crowd at the 2017 ATX Festival that it was “one of my favorite things I’ve ever made, partly because it completely baffles maybe 80 percent of the audience.”

Ferrell also said he went to the salon and asked them to dye his beard so it wouldn’t match his hair for the role. Perfect.

Ferrell explains how his team was against ‘A Deadly Adoption’

As part of his new cover feature in The Hollywood Reporter, Ferrell reflected on his track record of surprising fans — and the people who work with him. He discussed his royal wedding coverage segment and alluded to his penchant for off-the-wall ideas. “I love just kind of keeping everyone on their toes,” said Ferrell.

“I woke up one day with Lifetime on, and I thought, ‘Wait a minute, wouldn’t it be funny if you saw me and maybe another known comedy person do a Lifetime movie and just play it straight? Yeah, got to do that,’” he said.

Initially, Ferrell’s team was not on board with the idea. Would it be worth it? According to THR, it was easy recruiting Wiig. She jumped at the opportunity and noted that her co-star’s “Why not?” attitude made it effortless to say yes. These days, the president of his production company keeps track of all his zany pitches and files them away for a later date.

Fans can still watch Ferrell’s Lifetime movie

Though it’s difficult to find the film on demand via Lifetime, fans can access it through MarVista Entertainment. The production company behind A Deadly Adoption has a link available for streaming. Ferrell and Wiig are 100% dramatic actors in this one, so don’t expect any cheeky jokes or puns. It’s the Lifetime way.

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