Step Brothers: Why Will Ferrell & Adam McKay Cut A Wild 14-Page SeaWorld Scene
Chaos ensues when man-children Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) become family in "Step Brothers." From sleepwalking antics to a failed bunk bed-building attempt, they certainly keep their newly-wed parents Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) and Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) on their toes. In fact, the first draft of the script included so many shenanigans — 180 pages to be exact — that some had to be cut.
"Step Brothers" director Adam McKay told The Ringer that, originally, there was a 14-page SeaWorld excursion. After the guys think they hear something in the night, which in turn causes Robert to fire off his gun, they suggest a family outing to SeaWorld to ease the tension. "It's the greatest day ever. The parents both just buy into the dysfunction and have this amazing time at SeaWorld, except that Mary's purse gets snatched. It's all a montage, and then they're driving home with giant grins on their faces," said McKay. "And then all of a sudden, Dr. Doback hits the brakes on the car and he's just like, 'What the **** are we doing?'"
Ultimately, the 14-page SeaWorld scene was simply too lengthy for the script. However, the aquatic tourist attraction does see the light of day in another Ferrell-McKay project.
Will Ferrell heads to SeaWorld in Anchorman 2
Will Ferrell's Brennan Huff might not go to SeaWorld, but his character of Ron Burgundy does in 2013's "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." In the sequel, Burgundy finds himself down on his luck, a far cry from his past successes. Gone are his days hosting a major news program; instead, he has found himself as the unlikely host of a live dolphin show. However, as he belligerently fights with audience members and sea creatures alike, it's clear that this isn't his calling.
"Those ideas, they don't go away ... That idea, if it doesn't make it into a movie, it just kind of sits on the back burner and percolates until it's ready for the right movie," director Adam McKay told The Ringer. "That's one of the great things that happens in this world."
Still, Ferrell finally getting to experience SeaWorld didn't come without some pushback. Ahead of the "Anchorman" sequel's release in December 2013, PETA called for all dolphin scenes to be cut. Delcianna Winders, PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at the time, said in an official statement, "The constant deprivation that marine mammals face at SeaWorld is suited to a horror film, not a comedy."