Will Ferrell says his new film The Campaign is “the political version of Anchorman”.

The actor chatted to fans as he walked the red carpet at the movie’s Australian premiere in Sydney.

The Campaign sees Ferrell star as Cam Brady, a Congressman who has run unopposed for years until Marty Huggins, played by Zach Galifianakis, comes along to challenge him for his seat.

The two actors, who have been friends for years, devised the plot themselves and enjoyed working together.

Ferrell, who believes the film is as strong as his cult hit Anchorman, says they had been looking for a project to collaborate on.

“We went through a list of ideas and we started talking about how much fun it would be to really point out how crazy American politics is getting and it’d be a great backdrop for a very funny, broad comedy,” he said.