The Producers

Max Bialystock, a Broadway producer whose glory days are behind him, is scraping by when his timid accountant Leo Bloom points out an odd piece of arithmetic: a show that fails could earn its backers more than a hit. The two men set out to stage the worst musical they can find, raising money from wealthy older women who expect a return. Their chosen script is a glorification of Adolf Hitler written by an unhinged former Nazi, and they hire a wildly unsuitable director and a Swedish would-be star to complete the disaster.

The Producers is a 2005 American comedy directed by Susan Stroman, working from a screenplay by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan. It adapts the Broadway musical, itself based on Brooks's 1968 film, and Stroman had directed that stage production. Nathan Lane plays Max and Matthew Broderick plays Leo, with Uma Thurman as Ulla, Will Ferrell as the playwright Franz Liebkind, and Gary Beach and Roger Bart as Roger DeBris and Carmen Ghia. Around 60 cast members and 97 crew are credited.

Released on December 25, 2005, the film had a budget of 45 million dollars and took in about 38 million worldwide, a shortfall by comparison. On TMDB it holds a 6.2 rating from 537 votes, and critics' reviews average 5.9 out of 10, placing the two measures close together.