Stepbrothers is a favorite modern comedy, but not without its quirks. For starters, the original version of the movie was nearly five hours long. After a great deal of editing, they cut it down to the 98-minute version that has been seen worldwide. The idea for the film came about when John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell met up with director Adam McKay during the editing for Talladega Nights. Some ideas were passed around, but the following day, someone said “bunk beds” and it struck McKay with the core idea for the film.
One of the most difficult aspects for the costume designer was finding older clothes for Ferrell and Reilly to wear without it seeming like their characters were trying to dress as hipsters. As a result, Susan Matheson, the costume designer, made Brennan’s Star Wars pajama pants out of bedsheets she purchased online. Will Ferrell’s favorite keepsake from set—and the only one he took home with him— is Brennan’s prosthetic testicles. Made by one of the most sought-after Hollywood effects companies, they cost a whopping $10,000 to make.
Fans may remember NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth’s cameo in the film. While playing Brennan’s boss, he refused to say any lines with profanity. Each time he was given a new line with a curse word in it, he would change it up without the curse. Another celebrity appearance was Pablo Cruise. A T-shirt with the band’s name was worn by one of the characters in the movie trailer. The band members were so excited that they arranged to perform at the movie’s premiere.