Questions
When did Step Brothers come out and who directed it?
It was released on July 25, 2008, directed by Adam McKay from a screenplay he wrote with Will Ferrell.
Who stars in Step Brothers?
Will Ferrell plays 39-year-old Brennan Huff and John C. Reilly plays 40-year-old Dale Doback, two grown men still living at home whose single parents fall in love and marry.
How did the movie get started?
The concept reportedly began during post-production on Talladega Nights (2006) as a single comic image involving bunk beds, which grew into the premise of adults whose parents remarry.
Did anyone famous audition for the role of Derek and miss out?
Yes. Dax Shepard and Jon Hamm both reportedly auditioned for Brennan’s brother Derek and didn’t get the part, and both later recalled being upset about it. The role went to Adam Scott.
Was a lot of the movie improvised?
Very much so. It was built around improvisation and long takes, with McKay even encouraging failed attempts to keep things spontaneous. Over 1.5 million feet of film was exposed, so much that Kodak reportedly acknowledged the volume with a celebratory gesture.
How long was the original script?
An early draft ran about 180 pages and needed substantial cutting, including at least one longer sequence and an early storyline exploring a possible diagnosis.
Did anyone get hurt during filming?
Richard Jenkins, who plays Dale’s father Dr. Robert Doback, was reportedly bitten by a puppy during the Ferrell-Reilly fight sequence and required a tetanus shot.
Is the Catalina Wine Mixer a real thing?
The one in the film is fictional, but it inspired a real-world Catalina Wine Mixer that was established in 2015 as an annual event on Catalina Island.
Where was the Catalina Wine Mixer scene actually filmed?
Not on Catalina Island. The Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles stood in for it, while the rest of the film used Sony Pictures Studios soundstages in Culver City, California.
What song does Brennan sing at the Catalina Wine Mixer?
He performs "Por ti volaré" (also known as "Con te partirò") while Dale plays drums.
Who did the music for Step Brothers?
Jon Brion composed the score, deliberately contrasting earnest orchestral writing with early-1960s Hollywood colors and even a mandolin quartet approach to differentiate it from conventional comedy scoring.
Did the movie do well at the box office?
Yes. On a $65 million budget it grossed about $128 million worldwide, opening in second place behind The Dark Knight, and it later sold roughly 3.87 million DVDs.
Did critics like it at first?
Reviews were mixed at release, with a 54% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 51 on Metacritic, but the film has since been widely reevaluated, with A.O. Scott calling it a "bona fide masterpiece" in 2016.
Which celebrities are big fans of the movie?
Kanye West has referenced lines from it in songs, and Jennifer Lawrence, Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Evan Peters, and Marion Cotillard have all cited it as a favorite. Cotillard said the finale always makes her cry.
Has there ever been talk of a sequel?
John C. Reilly said the team discussed a sequel pretty much since the first one came out, and Ferrell floated a concept following the characters into a retirement community, but no concrete project has been in development.
