Additional information for Tropic Thunder, which has a domestic theatrical release set for August 13, 2008. The film is being distributed by DreamWorks Pictures and has not yet been rated. The film's total running time is still unknown.
15
UK
15
Ireland
R16
New Zealand
MA
Australia
13+
Canada
15
Sweden
16
Iceland
16
Netherlands
K-13
Finland
16
Brazil
M18
Singapore
PG-12
Japan
M/12
Portugal
16LV
South Africa
12
Germany
R
USA
16
Argentina
14
Peru
14
Switzerland
R-13
Philippines
U
France
18PL
Malaysia
18
South Korea
12
Austria
15
Denmark
III
Hong Kong
15
Norway
Una guerra de película
Argentina
Tonnerre sous les tropiques
Canada: French title
Jaja w tropikach
Poland
Tempestade Tropical
Portugal
Troopiline kõu
Estonia
Tropik firtina
Turkey: Turkish title
Tropiki kataigida
Greece
Tropska grmljavina
Croatia
Trovão Tropical
Brazil
Una guerra muy perra
Spain
August 13, 2008
Canada
August 13, 2008
USA
August 14, 2008
Kuwait
August 14, 2008
Russia
August 20, 2008
Egypt
August 21, 2008
Australia
August 22, 2008
Estonia
August 27, 2008
Iceland
August 29, 2008
Brazil
August 29, 2008
Mexico
September 3, 2008
Argentina
September 3, 2008
Finland
September 4, 2008
Argentina
September 4, 2008
Hungary
September 12, 2008
Romania
September 18, 2008
Germany
September 18, 2008
Portugal
September 19, 2008
Austria
September 19, 2008
Bulgaria
September 19, 2008
Finland
September 19, 2008
Sweden
September 19, 2008
UK
September 20, 2008
Spain
September 22, 2008
Greece
September 25, 2008
Greece
September 25, 2008
Israel
September 25, 2008
Netherlands
September 25, 2008
Slovakia
September 26, 2008
Norway
September 26, 2008
Poland
September 26, 2008
Spain
October 8, 2008
Peru
October 8, 2008
Philippines
October 9, 2008
Chile
October 10, 2008
Denmark
October 10, 2008
Panama
October 10, 2008
Turkey
October 15, 2008
Belgium
October 15, 2008
France
October 17, 2008
Colombia
October 17, 2008
Venezuela
October 23, 2008
Hong Kong
October 23, 2008
Singapore
October 23, 2008
Thailand
October 24, 2008
Italy
October 31, 2008
Taiwan
November 22, 2008
Japan
December 10, 2008
South Korea
The movie they think they're making... isn't a movie anymore.
Get Some
A commercial depicts rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) promoting his two brands: the "Booty Sweat" energy drink and "Bust-A-Nut" candy bar, while performing his hit song, "I Love Tha' Pussy". The first trailer shows action star Tugg Speedman's (Ben Stiller) latest film, 'Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown', a film so repetitive of it's five predecessors that even the trailer narrator sounds shaky about it. Another trailer features funnyman Jeff "Fatty" Portnoy (Jack Black), playing the entirety of "America's favorite obese family" in the highly flautlent 'The Fatties: Fart 2'. The final trailer, entitled 'Satan's Alley', features Australian "five-time Oscar winner" Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) and Tobey Maguire (as himself) as two monks who begin an empassioned affair.
We are taken, via the narration of John "Four Leaf" Tayback (Nick Nolte), into a gruesome battle of the Vietnam War. This is actually a scene from 'Tropic Thunder', a big budget adaptation of Tayback's wartime memoir. Starring as the central platoon are Speedman, Lazarus, Chino and Portnoy, as well as young character actor Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel). To play his character, Sgt. Osiris, an African American, Lazarus has dyed his skin dark and refuses to break character from Osiris. A take of Osiris crying over Tayback's (played by Speedman) blown-off hands is ruined when Speedman is unable to cry and Lazarus dribbles uncontrollably into Speedman's face. This causes great frustration for the film's director, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan). The chaos is further exacerbated when the film's pyrotechnics expert, Cody (Danny R. McBride), mistakes Cockburn's conniptions for a go to set off several expensive explosions.
We learn, via Access Hollywood, that Speedman's career has been on a downward spiral. In an attempt at Oscar-bait, Speedman had played the "retard" title character in the flop, 'Simple Jack', apparently considered one of the worst films of all time. Much to the horror of Speedman's agent, Rick "Pecker" Peck (Matthew McConaughey), Speedman doesn't even have TiVO on location. Elsewhere, Cockburn is berated in a meeting, via satellite TV, by studio head, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise). With filming a month behind schedule only five days into shooting, the media has dubbed the production "the most expensive war movie never made". Cockburn tries to explain that the primadonna stars are what's dragging the production down, but Grossman is not sympathetic. Later, the real "Four-Leaf" Tayback, takes Cockburn aside and suggests that he drop the actors in a real jungle and use Cody's explosive to inspire real fear in them. Cockburn enthusiastically agrees.
Speedman, Lazarus, Chino, Portnoy and Sandusky are dropped off with Cockburn in the middle of the jungle who sternly explains that he's going to use hidden cameras ("guerrilla-style") to capture real fear as they survive the real jungle. The actors are only given a map and a scene listing to guide them to the helicopter waiting at the end of the jungle. Just as he walks away, Cockburn is blown to pieces by an old landmine. The actors, with the exception of Lazarus, are convinced that this is some of Cockburn's special effects trickery. Unbeknownst to the actors, they were dropped in the middle of the Golden Triangle, the home of the heroin-producing Flaming Dragon gang. The Dragons believe the actors to be DEA agents and are put off to see Speedman, trying to convince the others that Cockburn's death is a trick, doing a gruesome display with Cockburn's severed head. Believing the Dragons to be actors playing Vietcong, the actors engage them in a gunfight (though the actors only have blank rounds). Tayback and Cody, waiting on a nearby ridge and unaware of the real dangers below, blow a large explosive that causes the Dragons to retreat (coincidently, Speedman throws a prop grenade towards the Dragons almost simultaneously) . After the "fight scene", the actors continue into the jungle to continue the "shoot". Tayback and Cody attempt to locate the now-deceased director. As the two argue and struggle (it is revealed that Tayback still has hands), they are surrounded and captured by the Dragons.
The actors continue their rigorous trek through the jungle. It is revealed that Portnoy is a heroin addict, a drug which he disguises from the others as candy. One night, a bat swoops down and steals Portnoy's heroin. Speedman and Lazarus clash as Speedman insists on holding the map and continuing to do scenes. Lazarus berates Speedman for his acting in 'Simple Jack'. Meanwhile, Chino grows angry at Lazarus for continuing to offensively "act black" as he stays in character. After Lazarus steals the map from Speedman, Sandusky (the only one with boot camp training) reveals by looking at the map that Speedman has been leading them the wrong way the whole time. The group splits from Speedman, who insists on continuing on his way. In captivity, Tayback reveals to Cody that he has never left the U.S. before, and originally wrote the book as a tribute.
Speedman's sanity seems to be slipping as he continues to act scenes from the film and even, much to his own distress, kills a Giant Panda one night. Speedman is soon captured by the Dragons and taken back to their camp. When he is tormented by the gang's prepubescent leader, Speedman stutters and is soon recognized as the star of 'Simple Jack'. This turns out to be the only film the Dragons have seen and they are in awe. The force Speedman to perform the film many times a day. Speedman even gets a young hanger-on, a "son" of sorts. The Dragons call Peck, Speedman's agent, and explain that they are holding Speedman ransom. Peck brings this to Les Grossman, who rabidly curses at the Dragon on the other end of the line. That night, Grossman learns the Dragons are heroin manufacturers and receives another call for increased ransom; Grossman instead tells them that they can kill Speedman. He then tells Peck that they can benefit more by collecting the insurance claim on Speedman's death, offering the torn agent a share of the profits.
Meanwhile, among the actors, tension grows between Lazarus and Chino. Portnoy has begun to hallucinate due to his withdrawal, and has to be tied to a water buffalo and then, at his own insistance, a concrete column. Soon, Portnoy is pleading with others to untie him. During a conversation about women "back home", Sandusky expresses envy of Lazarus having dated Jennifer Love Hewitt. In the course of the conversation, Chino is revealed to be a closet homosexual (he is in love with someone named "Lance"). They soon stumble upon the Flaming Dragon's heroin factory. After seeing Speedman being tortured, they plan an ambush based on the film's plot line.
Lazarus impersonates a farmer who has caught Portnoy (again tied to his water buffalo) in his farm, distracting the armed guards as Chino and Sandusky sneak into the building the captives are held in. After the gang notices inconsistencies in Lazarus' story, the actors open fire on the gang, temporarily subduing them despite being armed with only special effects blanks. Portnoy kidnaps the gang's child leader from the fray in order to be led to the drugs. After barely defeating the young crime lord in combat, he finds an enormous mound of heroin; however, reflecting upon his failing low-brow movie career, he rejects the heroin and uses it instead to knock out two guards. Tayback and Cody join the fighting, using Cody's flamethrower and explosives against the Dragons.
However, Portnoy, Chino, and Lazarus find Speedman brainwashed. After he's performing to an approving crowd several times a day, he now believes he is home. Before they can snap him out of it, Lazarus breaks down, revealing his similar inner-struggle with his own identity. With Chino and Sandusky's help, Lazarus drops the Sgt. Osiris character, in both make-up and accent, and becomes his Australian self. However, even Sandusky's inspiring words cannot break Speedman's trance and they have to drag him away as they attempt to escape in Cody and Tayback's recaptured helicopter. The Dragons quickly rejoin, chasing the actors across a bridge which is rigged to detonate by Cody. Speedman asks to remain behind with his "family", but quickly returns with his "son" stabbing him in the neck and the murderous Dragons in pursuit. Tayback detonates the bridge just in time for Speedman to get across. Lazarus goes to rescue Speedman from the rubble. They swear each other's friendship and Speedman is finally able to cry. However, just as they get in with the others to the helicopter, the prepubescent Dragon leader appears with a rocket launcher. As he shoots at the helicopter, Speedman's agent "Pecker" inexpicably appears with Speedman's TiVO and deflects the rocket with it.
A documentary of the botched production is made from the hidden camera footage, and results in a multiple Academy Award-winning blockbuster film. The film breaks Speedman's streak of flops and he wins the award for Best Actor, presented by his friend Lazarus. Along with Portnoy, Sandusky is present with Jennifer Love Hewitt on his arm and Chino is present with Lance Bass (the "Lance" of earlier) on his arm. Les Grossman does a hip-hop dance in celebration of the hit.
Ben Stiller
Director(s)
Ben Stiller
Justin Theroux
Etan Cohen
Ben Stiller
Justin Theroux
Writer(s)
Stuart Cornfeld
producer
Matt Eppedio
associate producer
Patrick Esposito
post-production producer
Eric McLeod
producer
Ben Stiller
producer
Brian Taylor
co-producer
Justin Theroux
executive producer
Producer(s)
Theodore Shapiro
Composer(s)
Snooty Waiter - Fatties Trailer
Jeff Kahn
Kirk Lazarus - Hot LZ
Robert Downey Jr.
Platoon Sergeant Shot in Head - Hot LZ
Anthony Ruivivar
Jeff Portnoy - Hot LZ
Jack Black
Kevin Sandusky - Hot LZ
Jay Baruchel
Alpa Chino - Hot LZ
Brandon T. Jackson
Tugg Speedman - Hot LZ
Ben Stiller
Chopper Pilot - Hot LZ
Eric Winzenried
Damien Cockburn - Vietnam Crew
Steve Coogan
Damien's Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Valerie Azlynn
Cameraperson - Vietnam Crew
Matt Levin
First Assistant Director - Vietnam Crew
David Pressman
Script Supervisor - Vietnam Crew
Amy Stiller
Cody - Vietnam Crew
Danny McBride
Special Effects Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Dempsey Silva
Studio Executive Rob Slolom - Vietnam Crew
Bill Hader
Four Leaf Tayback - Vietnam Crew
Nick Nolte
Speedman Assistant - Vietnam Crew (as Jeff Weideman)
Jeff Weidemann
Speedman Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Nadine Ellis
Speedman Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Rachel Avery
Alpa's Posse - Vietnam Crew
Darryl Farmer
Alpa's Posse - Vietnam Crew
Rod Tate
Herself - Access Hollywood
Maria Menounos
Herself - The Tyra Banks Show
Tyra Banks
Rebecca - Simple Jack Clip
Christine Taylor
Speedman's Chef - Speedman's Mansion
Jel Galiza
Speedman's Trainer - Speedman's Mansion
Andrea de Oliveira
Rick Peck - Peck's Office
Matthew McConaughey
Peck's Assistant - Peck's Office
Yvette Nicole Brown
Byong - Flaming Dragon Compound
Reggie Lee
Tru - Flaming Dragon Compound
Trieu Tran
Tran - Flaming Dragon Compound
Brandon Soo Hoo
Half Squat - Flaming Dragon Compound
J. Thomas Chon
Half Squat - Flaming Dragon Compound
Jacob Chon
Grossman's Secretary - Grossman's Office
Mini Anden
Les Grossman - Grossman's Office
Tom Cruise
Grossman's Assistant - Grossman's Office
Mike Hoagland
Himself - Awards Ceremony
Jon Voight
Herself - Awards Ceremony
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Himself - Awards Ceremony
Jason Bateman
Trailer Addict has setup TA, Trailers Anoymous. Feel free to contact us at with your scoops, comments or advertising inquiries at the following email address.
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.
We are taken, via the narration of John "Four Leaf" Tayback (Nick Nolte), into a gruesome battle of the Vietnam War. This is actually a scene from 'Tropic Thunder', a big budget adaptation of Tayback's wartime memoir. Starring as the central platoon are Speedman, Lazarus, Chino and Portnoy, as well as young character actor Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel). To play his character, Sgt. Osiris, an African American, Lazarus has dyed his skin dark and refuses to break character from Osiris. A take of Osiris crying over Tayback's (played by Speedman) blown-off hands is ruined when Speedman is unable to cry and Lazarus dribbles uncontrollably into Speedman's face. This causes great frustration for the film's director, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan). The chaos is further exacerbated when the film's pyrotechnics expert, Cody (Danny R. McBride), mistakes Cockburn's conniptions for a go to set off several expensive explosions.
We learn, via Access Hollywood, that Speedman's career has been on a downward spiral. In an attempt at Oscar-bait, Speedman had played the "retard" title character in the flop, 'Simple Jack', apparently considered one of the worst films of all time. Much to the horror of Speedman's agent, Rick "Pecker" Peck (Matthew McConaughey), Speedman doesn't even have TiVO on location. Elsewhere, Cockburn is berated in a meeting, via satellite TV, by studio head, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise). With filming a month behind schedule only five days into shooting, the media has dubbed the production "the most expensive war movie never made". Cockburn tries to explain that the primadonna stars are what's dragging the production down, but Grossman is not sympathetic. Later, the real "Four-Leaf" Tayback, takes Cockburn aside and suggests that he drop the actors in a real jungle and use Cody's explosive to inspire real fear in them. Cockburn enthusiastically agrees.
Speedman, Lazarus, Chino, Portnoy and Sandusky are dropped off with Cockburn in the middle of the jungle who sternly explains that he's going to use hidden cameras ("guerrilla-style") to capture real fear as they survive the real jungle. The actors are only given a map and a scene listing to guide them to the helicopter waiting at the end of the jungle. Just as he walks away, Cockburn is blown to pieces by an old landmine. The actors, with the exception of Lazarus, are convinced that this is some of Cockburn's special effects trickery. Unbeknownst to the actors, they were dropped in the middle of the Golden Triangle, the home of the heroin-producing Flaming Dragon gang. The Dragons believe the actors to be DEA agents and are put off to see Speedman, trying to convince the others that Cockburn's death is a trick, doing a gruesome display with Cockburn's severed head. Believing the Dragons to be actors playing Vietcong, the actors engage them in a gunfight (though the actors only have blank rounds). Tayback and Cody, waiting on a nearby ridge and unaware of the real dangers below, blow a large explosive that causes the Dragons to retreat (coincidently, Speedman throws a prop grenade towards the Dragons almost simultaneously) . After the "fight scene", the actors continue into the jungle to continue the "shoot". Tayback and Cody attempt to locate the now-deceased director. As the two argue and struggle (it is revealed that Tayback still has hands), they are surrounded and captured by the Dragons.
The actors continue their rigorous trek through the jungle. It is revealed that Portnoy is a heroin addict, a drug which he disguises from the others as candy. One night, a bat swoops down and steals Portnoy's heroin. Speedman and Lazarus clash as Speedman insists on holding the map and continuing to do scenes. Lazarus berates Speedman for his acting in 'Simple Jack'. Meanwhile, Chino grows angry at Lazarus for continuing to offensively "act black" as he stays in character. After Lazarus steals the map from Speedman, Sandusky (the only one with boot camp training) reveals by looking at the map that Speedman has been leading them the wrong way the whole time. The group splits from Speedman, who insists on continuing on his way. In captivity, Tayback reveals to Cody that he has never left the U.S. before, and originally wrote the book as a tribute.
Speedman's sanity seems to be slipping as he continues to act scenes from the film and even, much to his own distress, kills a Giant Panda one night. Speedman is soon captured by the Dragons and taken back to their camp. When he is tormented by the gang's prepubescent leader, Speedman stutters and is soon recognized as the star of 'Simple Jack'. This turns out to be the only film the Dragons have seen and they are in awe. The force Speedman to perform the film many times a day. Speedman even gets a young hanger-on, a "son" of sorts. The Dragons call Peck, Speedman's agent, and explain that they are holding Speedman ransom. Peck brings this to Les Grossman, who rabidly curses at the Dragon on the other end of the line. That night, Grossman learns the Dragons are heroin manufacturers and receives another call for increased ransom; Grossman instead tells them that they can kill Speedman. He then tells Peck that they can benefit more by collecting the insurance claim on Speedman's death, offering the torn agent a share of the profits.
Meanwhile, among the actors, tension grows between Lazarus and Chino. Portnoy has begun to hallucinate due to his withdrawal, and has to be tied to a water buffalo and then, at his own insistance, a concrete column. Soon, Portnoy is pleading with others to untie him. During a conversation about women "back home", Sandusky expresses envy of Lazarus having dated Jennifer Love Hewitt. In the course of the conversation, Chino is revealed to be a closet homosexual (he is in love with someone named "Lance"). They soon stumble upon the Flaming Dragon's heroin factory. After seeing Speedman being tortured, they plan an ambush based on the film's plot line.
Lazarus impersonates a farmer who has caught Portnoy (again tied to his water buffalo) in his farm, distracting the armed guards as Chino and Sandusky sneak into the building the captives are held in. After the gang notices inconsistencies in Lazarus' story, the actors open fire on the gang, temporarily subduing them despite being armed with only special effects blanks. Portnoy kidnaps the gang's child leader from the fray in order to be led to the drugs. After barely defeating the young crime lord in combat, he finds an enormous mound of heroin; however, reflecting upon his failing low-brow movie career, he rejects the heroin and uses it instead to knock out two guards. Tayback and Cody join the fighting, using Cody's flamethrower and explosives against the Dragons.
However, Portnoy, Chino, and Lazarus find Speedman brainwashed. After he's performing to an approving crowd several times a day, he now believes he is home. Before they can snap him out of it, Lazarus breaks down, revealing his similar inner-struggle with his own identity. With Chino and Sandusky's help, Lazarus drops the Sgt. Osiris character, in both make-up and accent, and becomes his Australian self. However, even Sandusky's inspiring words cannot break Speedman's trance and they have to drag him away as they attempt to escape in Cody and Tayback's recaptured helicopter. The Dragons quickly rejoin, chasing the actors across a bridge which is rigged to detonate by Cody. Speedman asks to remain behind with his "family", but quickly returns with his "son" stabbing him in the neck and the murderous Dragons in pursuit. Tayback detonates the bridge just in time for Speedman to get across. Lazarus goes to rescue Speedman from the rubble. They swear each other's friendship and Speedman is finally able to cry. However, just as they get in with the others to the helicopter, the prepubescent Dragon leader appears with a rocket launcher. As he shoots at the helicopter, Speedman's agent "Pecker" inexpicably appears with Speedman's TiVO and deflects the rocket with it.
A documentary of the botched production is made from the hidden camera footage, and results in a multiple Academy Award-winning blockbuster film. The film breaks Speedman's streak of flops and he wins the award for Best Actor, presented by his friend Lazarus. Along with Portnoy, Sandusky is present with Jennifer Love Hewitt on his arm and Chino is present with Lance Bass (the "Lance" of earlier) on his arm. Les Grossman does a hip-hop dance in celebration of the hit.
Director(s)
Justin Theroux
Etan Cohen
Ben Stiller
Justin Theroux
Writer(s)
producer
Matt Eppedio
associate producer
Patrick Esposito
post-production producer
Eric McLeod
producer
Ben Stiller
producer
Brian Taylor
co-producer
Justin Theroux
executive producer
Producer(s)
Composer(s)
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