Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy, 2004, Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is an American comedy film which was released on July 9, 2004. It was written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and directed by McKay. The film made $28,416,365 its opening weekend, and $90,540,221 worldwide in its total theatrical run.
The film is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News television-program format and real-life Southern California anchor Harold Greene. It portrays a San Diego TV station where one female reporter (Applegate) struggles to become the first "Anchorwoman".
The original version of the film, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, was released straight to DVD in 2004. The "alternate film" was never released in theaters due to negative responses from test audiences, a common complaint being the inclusion of a terrorism-related subplot.
Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Danny Trejo and Tim Robbins have cameo roles. In addition, Stiller's father, Jerry Stiller, can be seen in the background of Rocky's Bar Grill and Fine Dining, where Ed Harken calls seeking Ron Burgundy after Veronica disappears into the bear pen near the end of the film.
Ron's SportsCenter audition.The character Ron Burgundy was featured in a short piece on the unrated DVD that imagined him auditioning for a spot on ESPN's SportsCenter when the network was just beginning. In the scene, Burgundy is seen remarking that an all sports channel was as foolish as an all music channel and that SportsCenter would be a financial disaster.
The music during the news team battle was the same as the battle music from Spartacus.
This movie contains more Frat Pack members than any other, with six making appearances, including Steve Carell, who is usually considered to be the seventh and newest member. The only member not making an appearance is Owen Wilson, who was originally considered for the role of Public Television Anchor, but couldn't do it due to other commitments.
During an interview before the release of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Ferrell said Anchorman and Talladega Nights are the first two installments of his Mediocre American Man Trilogy. Ferrell and the director of both movies, Adam McKay, have stated that the last installment will be rated R, unlike the previous two installments. Ideas have ranged from Ferrell playing a CEO to him playing an astronaut, but McKay has said that the new idea that they are leaning to is even better.
This film is number 100 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
During the end credits, while outtakes from the film are being shown, an outtake from Smokey and the Bandit II is shown, most likely a reference to the fact that the Smokey and the Bandit films were among the first to feature outtakes during their end credits.Wikipedia
