NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) --Will Ferrell has decided to back out of his role as Ronald Reagan in a new film after the former president's family and other critics slammed the movie for being in poor taste.

Will Ferrell will play President Ronald Reagan in “Reagan,” a political satire written by Mike Rosolio, whose script was voted to the 2015 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays.

But, when I heard this comedy would mock President Reagan’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, ... The actor announced Friday afternoon that he is “not pursuing” the part of Ronald Reagan.

The Black List comedy dealt with Ronald Reagan's dementia. By Mia Galuppo Will Ferrell has backed out of a planned comedy that depicted Ronald Reagan’s dementia. The comedian was in talks to ...

Colbert Imagines Ronald Reagan in Hell While Roasting GOP House Speaker Drama (Video) Of course Colbert continues to laugh at how many times Kevin McCarthy has failed to become Speaker of the House.

Ronald Reagan’s Justice Department branded the antinuclear documentary “If You Love This Planet” as “foreign political propaganda.” The move backfired, helping the film win an Oscar.