Will Ferrell is a NASCAR driver in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

CHICAGO -- Will Ferrell fans looking forward to Friday's release of NASCAR-themed flick Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby should be happy to hear there is more where it came from.

Ferrell and writing partner Adam McKay, who also directed 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights, aren't quite ready to let go of the two films' cocky, buffoonish archetypal main character.

They're already working on another picture to complete what they are now calling a "mediocre American man trilogy."

"That's kind of endlessly fascinating to us, it's just really funny to us," Ferrell, 39, told reporters while promoting Talladega Nights. "People who think they are great and are not, and are far from it."

They haven't finished pitching the idea to the studios so neither will say which character will follow sexist San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights' "if you ain't first, you're last" racing legend Ricky Bobby, though they have already rejected the professions of astronaut and a CEO.

One thing is for sure: Only Ferrell can play him. "Will playing prideful, mediocre guys is a joke we never get tired of," says McKay. "Will plays unearned hubris better than anyone."

The wacky duo say their bizarre brand of comedy is born from pure imagination, McKay on a couch, Ferrell typing at a computer. (For example, McKay thought it would be funny to see a cougar attacking Ferrell; alas, in the movie, one does.)

Whatever makes them laugh goes on to pal and arbiter of reason Judd Apatow, Talladega Nights' producer who also wrote and directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Their challenge is to keep some of the funny stuff that has nothing to do with the story in the movie.

"We often have this debate about when you walk out of a comedy, do you walk out going 'That was an amazing story, wow. It changed my life, that story,' " says Ferrell with mock amazement. "Or do you say 'That was a funny line, do you remember when this happened?' "

The battle comes when the script goes to the studio, because they "preach story," he says. "You always run into that thing where it's like, 'I would just cut this because it doesn't make sense,' " says Ferrell. "And we're like, 'We know it doesn't make sense, it's just a funny thing that happens, a speed bump in the movie.' You do not say 'That does not make sense! Stop the movie!' "

The explosively popular world of NASCAR racing was a natural setting for a comedy, says Ferrell.

"We kind of went completely backwards about it because we started writing the script and then NASCAR came on board and then we started going to races," he says.

"So in a weird way our ignorance allowed us to go to places that maybe if we knew too much, we'd be like 'Oh, they would never say or do that, let's just think of the craziest thing.' "

Notorious for fiercely protecting its image, McKay says he was "stunned at how cool NASCAR was" with the movie. He can recall racing honchos asking to cut only one gag, involving a driver who died behind the wheel.

"He was supposed to be an incredibly obese driver and he was eating chicken wings and had a heart attack," says McKay, "and leaned on the wheel in such a way that it allowed him to go around the track in a circle, and I think they thought it was quite insulting."

Neither did an astonishing amount of blatant product placement -- from Domino's to Powerade to the American chain Appleby's -- earn the movie any money.

"Everyone would say 'They must be making a fortune off this product placement,' but the truth is we didn't get a dime off of it,"says McKay. "We're really completely making fun of a lot of the products, like Old Spice, it's so cheesy ultra-American, but they're also smart and hip for doing it."

McKay and Ferrell share improv backgrounds, at Chicago's Second City and Los Angeles' The Groundlings respectively, and met during stints on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

They can now pick and choose "dream people" for their movies, expanding the "Frat Pack" seen in Old School and Anchorman to include actors such as HBO Da Ali G Show creator and star Sacha Baron Cohen as Ferrell's bizarrely accented French nemesis, John C. Reilly, as best friend and perpetual runner-up Cal Naughton Jr., and Gary Cole, who plays his ne'er do well dad Reese.

All three were comfortable with Ferrell and McKay's loose filming style, which has them tossing the script after two or three takes. In the end some of the film's funniest scenes were entirely improvised.

"There's a real team effort when we do these movies," says Ferrell. "Everyone's kind of on the same page when it comes to sharing comedic ideas, it just kind of feeds itself, and the other actors start saying 'You know what would be funny?' I don't know if that happens in other comedies."

Those who've seen the Talladega Nights trailer already know it features a hilarious segment featuring Ferrell's character running around in tighty-whities and a helmet, thinking he's on fire.

After his infamous "We're streaking!" scene in Old School, Ferrell laughs when it's suggested fans might be disappointed if he didn't strip at least once for laughs.

"That's just nature," he cracks, "that's just Darwinian."

Ferrell says though there are rumours of an Old School 2 reunion he hasn't signed on to anything.

He heads back to Montreal this month to finish shooting next year's figure skating comedy Blades of Glory, and recently wrapped Stranger Than Fiction with Emma Thompson. Though he is now a bona fide A-list star who earns $20 million per picture, Ferrell jokes he's not above supporting roles.

"I think it's just kind of depending on what the role is, the project is," he says, "and whether I owe someone a favour."

More Artists