Anchorman 2 is set to hit theaters a bit earlier than planned–December 18th instead of the 20th, with Will Ferrell’s character Ron Burgundy back on the big screen for the first time in 9 years. The film star talked recently about the sequel, along with director Adam McKay, dishing about past and present actors and a few surprises, too.

McKay told The Christian Science Monitor that Anchorman 2 begins with a prologue showing what has taken place in the lives of Rob Burgundy and his girlfriend and co-anchor Veronica Cornerstone (played by Christina Applegate) since the first film. The prologue ends with Burgundy working as an announcer at Sea World, during which he is caught yelling at a dolphin.

Flash forward a few minutes to Ron Burgundy, along with his news team (Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner) moving to New York, where they’ll hop on board at a 24-hour news network.

“[The network] literally just needed more bodies,” Will Ferrell said in an interview with Moviefone. “They had to hire so many people, a massive group of people, at one time, to be on around the clock; that’s why he and his news team are on at two in the morning. And, of course, they are horribly upset by that.”

Producers had to hire some new people for Anchorman 2 as well. In addition to at least some of the original cast, new cast members include Kristen Wiig, Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson and Meagan Good.

Twitter fans are certainly getting excited about the premiere.

Anchorman 2 is coming out !!! ladies and gents I'm trapped inside a glass case of emotion #sweetbrick #beardofZeus

— Rebecca Ferguson (@RebeccaFMusic) November 25, 2013

These people clearly saw a special preview or a premiere in another country.

Dear Earth,#Anchorman2 did not disappoint-somehow surpassed expectation. See it and laugh yourself stupid.

— Charlie Pickering (@charliepick) November 24, 2013

ANCHORMAN 2 IS HILARIOUS… It's in capitals, so I yelled it

— Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) November 24, 2013

Will you be checking out Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy is Anchorman 2? What are some of your favorite lines from the first film?

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