Will Ferrell’s new Netflix comedy series The Hawk arrives this week, bringing golf legend Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins back to the sport that made him infamous. The series lands on Netflix on 16 July and stars Ferrell as Lonnie Hawkins, a former No. 1 golfer chasing one final major on the back nine of his career. Ferrell also created and executive produced the series, marking his first television comedy.
The trailer introduces Lonnie as a man determined to redeem himself after a very public sporting failure. His focus? Golf, bedazzled visors and, apparently, the classic Chili’s Baby Back Ribs jingle. Not exactly traditional sporting preparation, but this is clearly not a traditional comeback story.
Netflix’s official logline reads: “Lonnie Hawkins, (Will Ferrell) 2004’s number one golfer, struggles on the back nine of his career to recapture his magic. His body says retire, but his heart says he’s not done yet. His ex-wife and his son Lance, golf’s new golden boy, know he’s through. But with one more major to win to complete golf’s Grand Slam, Lonnie refuses to believe he’s anything other than one stroke away from the greatest comeback in golf history.”
The wider cast includes Molly Shannon as Lonnie’s estranged wife Stacy, Jimmy Tatro as his son and golf rival Lance, and Fortune Feimster as his new caddie Sam. Luke Wilson also stars as Golden Fisk, the pro golfer who has beaten Lonnie twice, while Chris Parnell plays PGA TOUR board member Anton. Also starring are Katelyn Tarver as Natalie, David Hornsby as Radford, Gabriel Hogan as Jerry and Aida Osman as Crystal.
Ahead of the show’s Netflix debut, Lonnie has also been getting the full fictional sports-star rollout, including an East Coast bus tour and an official Instagram account. Naturally, Kim Kardashian has already appeared in his social media journey to teach him about posing and filters. As one does.
The tour has included stops in locations such as The Hamptons, the Travelers Championship Pro-Am, Netflix House in Pennsylvania and the International Sand Sculpting Festival in Massachusetts, with games, prizes and photo opportunities built around Lonnie’s return.
For CultureCues, The Hawk looks like a fun new series for Netflix. Will Ferrell playing a washed-up golf legend chasing one last comeback is exactly the kind of ridiculous sports-comedy set-up that could be very easy to enjoy. Add Molly Shannon, Fortune Feimster and Jimmy Tatro into the mix, and this feels like a solid watch for anyone needing something silly this week. Hawk yeah, we’ll give it a swing.
The Hawk arrives on Netflix on 16 July.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.