Will & Harper
Updated: 12/10/2025, 8:50:26 PM Wikipedia source
Will & Harper is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Josh Greenbaum and following actor Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele as the duo make a 17-day road trip across the United States, the latter having recently completed a gender transition. It was produced by Jessica Elbaum, Ferrell, Greenbaum, Christopher Leggett, and Rafael Marmor. Will & Harper premiered at the 40th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2024, received a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 13, and began streaming worldwide on Netflix on September 27. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the top 5 documentary films of 2024 by the National Board of Review. The film won a Peabody Award at the 85th Annual Ceremony.
Infobox
Directed by
Josh Greenbaum
Produced by
mw- Jessica Elbaum Will Ferrell Josh Greenbaum Christopher Leggett Rafael Marmor
Starring
Will Ferrell Harper Steele
Cinematography
Zoë White
Edited by
Monique Zavistovski
Music by
Nathan Halpern
Productioncompanies
Delirio FilmsGloria Sanchez ProductionsWayfarer Studios
Distributed by
Netflix
Release dates
January 22, 2024 (2024-01-22) (Sundance) September 13, 2024 (2024-09-13) (United States)
Running time
114 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Award
Toronto International Film Festival
Date
September 15, 2024
Category
People's Choice Award: Documentaries
Nominee(s)
Will & Harper
Result
Runner-up
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Award
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Date
November 10, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date
Josh Greenbaum
Category
Nominated
Best Score
Best Score
Award
Best Score
Date
Nathan Halpern
Category
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Date
Zoë White
Category
Nominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Award
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Date
November 20, 2024
Category
Best Original Score – Documentary
Nominee(s)
Nathan Halpern
Result
Nominated
Best Original Song – Documentary
Best Original Song – Documentary
Award
Best Original Song – Documentary
Date
"Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum
Category
Nominated
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Award
National Board of Review
Date
December 4, 2024
Category
Top 5 Documentaries
Nominee(s)
Will & Harper
Result
Won
Astra Film Awards
Astra Film Awards
Award
Astra Film Awards
Date
December 8, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Astra Creative Arts Awards
Astra Creative Arts Awards
Award
Astra Creative Arts Awards
Date
December 8, 2024
Category
Best Original Song
Nominee(s)
"Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum
Result
Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
Award
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
Date
December 8, 2024
Category
Best Documentary
Nominee(s)
Will & Harper
Result
Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society
San Diego Film Critics Society
Award
San Diego Film Critics Society
Date
December 9, 2024
Category
Best Documentary
Nominee(s)
Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association
St. Louis Film Critics Association
Award
St. Louis Film Critics Association
Date
December 15, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Nominee(s)
Nominated
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
Award
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
Date
December 15, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Seattle Film Critics Society
Seattle Film Critics Society
Award
Seattle Film Critics Society
Date
December 16, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Award
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Date
December 18, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Nominee(s)
3rd place
Florida Film Critics Circle
Florida Film Critics Circle
Award
Florida Film Critics Circle
Date
December 20, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Austin Film Critics Association
Austin Film Critics Association
Award
Austin Film Critics Association
Date
January 6, 2025
Category
Best Documentary Film
Nominee(s)
Won
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
Award
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
Date
January 11, 2025
Category
Best Documentary
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Cinema Eye Honors
Cinema Eye Honors
Award
Cinema Eye Honors
Date
January 9, 2024
Category
Audience Choize Prize
Nominee(s)
Nominated
The Unforgettables
The Unforgettables
Award
The Unforgettables
Date
Harper Steele
Category
Won
American Cinema Editors Awards
American Cinema Editors Awards
Award
American Cinema Editors Awards
Date
March 14, 2025
Category
Best Edited Documentary (Theatrical)
Nominee(s)
Monique Zavistovski
Result
Won
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Award
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Date
January 7, 2025
Category
Best Documentary Film
Nominee(s)
Will & Harper
Result
Nominated
Dorian Awards
Dorian Awards
Award
Dorian Awards
Date
February 15, 2025
Category
Documentary of the Year
Nominee(s)
Won
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
Award
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
Date
Won
Golden Reel Awards
Golden Reel Awards
Award
Golden Reel Awards
Date
February 23, 2025
Category
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary
Nominee(s)
Zach Seivers, George Pereyra, Adam Parrish King, and Jared K. Neal
Result
Nominated
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Award
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Date
May 1, 2025
Category
Television Academy Honors Award
Nominee(s)
A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production
Result
Won
Peabody Awards
Peabody Awards
Award
Peabody Awards
Date
May 1, 2025
Category
Documentary
Nominee(s)
Won
Primetime Emmy Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
Award
Primetime Emmy Awards
Date
September 6–7, 2025
Category
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Nominee(s)
Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Josh Greenbaum
Result
Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Award
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Date
Josh Greenbaum
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Award
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Date
Zoë White
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Award
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Date
"Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Award
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Date
Monique Zavistovski and Lori Lovoy-Goran
Category
Nominated
| Award | Date | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Toronto International Film Festival | September 15, 2024 | People's Choice Award: Documentaries | Will & Harper | Runner-up | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | November 10, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Won | ||
| Best Director | Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |||
| Best Score | Nathan Halpern | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Zoë White | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 20, 2024 | Best Original Score – Documentary | Nathan Halpern | Nominated | |
| Best Original Song – Documentary | "Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |||
| National Board of Review | December 4, 2024 | Top 5 Documentaries | Will & Harper | Won | |
| Astra Film Awards | December 8, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | ||
| Astra Creative Arts Awards | December 8, 2024 | Best Original Song | "Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 8, 2024 | Best Documentary | Will & Harper | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 9, 2024 | Best Documentary | Nominated | ||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 15, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | ||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | December 15, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | December 16, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Nominated | ||
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | 3rd place | ||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Won | ||
| Austin Film Critics Association | January 6, 2025 | Best Documentary Film | Won | ||
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 11, 2025 | Best Documentary | Nominated | ||
| Cinema Eye Honors | January 9, 2024 | Audience Choize Prize | Nominated | ||
| The Unforgettables | Harper Steele | Won | |||
| American Cinema Editors Awards | March 14, 2025 | Best Edited Documentary (Theatrical) | Monique Zavistovski | Won | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 7, 2025 | Best Documentary Film | Will & Harper | Nominated | |
| Dorian Awards | February 15, 2025 | Documentary of the Year | Won | ||
| LGBTQ Documentary of the Year | Won | ||||
| Golden Reel Awards | February 23, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary | Zach Seivers, George Pereyra, Adam Parrish King, and Jared K. Neal | Nominated | |
| Academy of Television Arts & Sciences | May 1, 2025 | Television Academy Honors Award | A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production | Won | |
| Peabody Awards | May 1, 2025 | Documentary | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | September 6–7, 2025 | Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special | Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program | Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program | Zoë White | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | "Harper and Will Go West" – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, and Josh Greenbaum | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program | Monique Zavistovski and Lori Lovoy-Goran | Nominated |
References
- Tied with Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
- This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.
- "Will & Harper"https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/6569fbeffac9f48117c03722
- Will & Harperhttps://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/will-harper-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdizmtm1
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/film/news/will-and-harper-trailer-netflix-will-ferrell-1236119988/
- National Board of Reviewhttps://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2024/
- The Peabody Awardshttps://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/will-harper/
- "Indiana, Idaho governors sign bans on gender-affirming care"https://apnews.com/article/indiana-governor-gender-affirming-care-ban-09bdabec268dbd8d79397a43f21694ed
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/07/magazine/will-ferrell-harper-steele-interview.html
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/film/news/will-ferrell-transgender-community-sundance-documentary-1235881250/
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/01/23/will-ferrell-harper-steele-sundance-documentary/72316639007/
- Will & Harperhttps://www.vulture.com/2024/01/will-and-harper-review-a-will-ferrell-road-trip-documentary.html
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/film/festivals/will-ferrell-sundance-doc-will-and-harper-sells-netflix-1235885825/
- Toronto International Film Festivalhttps://tiff.net/events/will-and-harper
- Will & Harperhttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/will_and_harper
- Will & Harperhttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/will-harper
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/movies/sundance-film-festival-will-ferrell.html
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- Saoirse Ronan talks THE OUTRUN, BLITZ, LADY BIRD, James Bond, Harry Potter, Chappell Roanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE3yZi8EuWo&t=70s
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- "Will & Harper"https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/will-harper