Why Will Ferrell wanted a doc about his friendship with a trans woman to release before the U.S. election

Will Ferrell is excited about his candid and enlightening new documentary “Will & Harper,” and has hopes that it can spark compassion and conversation.

The project – about a decades-long friendship between Ferrell and former “Saturday Night Live” head writer Harper Steele, who comes out to him as trans, which spurs the pair to go on a road trip together – is currently streaming on Netflix. The timing of the film’s release was an important factor for them.

“When we sat down with Netflix we made it clear that we wanted this out before the election,” Ferrell told Variety at the film’s recent Los Angeles premiere.

“We wanted it to have enough runway for people to get to see it and hopefully start having important discussions in their living rooms,” he added.

“Will & Harper” explores Steele’s transition later in life and the questions Ferrell has to better understand her experience. Nothing is left off the table during their cross-country road trip, as the pair share both heartwarming and challenging moments during their travels in the documentary.

Ferrell said, “It was amazing how we were able to keep the flow of conversation going six hours a day in a car and the depths of things we explored.”

As trans rights have become a politicized issue in much of the country, the project proved timely. A study released this week found that when anti-trans legislation becomes state law, suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people rise, with increases of up to 72 per cent among teens who live in states where those bills become law.

“We’ve heard from people who say they can’t wait to see this with friends and family who maybe don’t share the same viewpoint and they’re looking forward to watching it all together,” Ferrell said about his new film. “Hopefully it could slowly chip away at some of that.”