Tagline: They could solve nature’s biggest mystery if they only had a clue.
Strange Wilderness is comedy film produced by Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison Productions for Paramount Pictures, and starring Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Justin Long, Kevin Heffernan, and Jonah Hill.
The protagonist’s father was a successful and revered animal-show host akin to Marlin Perkins’s Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. When he died his stoner son and his sidekick Fred Wolf take over the production of the program. However, their television affiliate develops concerns over the sliding ratings and the slipshod nature of the show’s production under the new regime (they showed films of burning protesters and a cast member being brutally attacked by a shark).
A rival animal-show is poised to take over the slot once held by “Strange Wilderness,” unless the boys can turn the show around. Luckily, an old friend of the father gives them a map for “Bigfoot’s Lair” in Ecuador for $1,000. The show then sets out to film bigfoot in a hope to revive interest in their flagging affair.
They finally arrive at bigfoot’s lair. to their surprise, bigfoot emerges, scaring the team, they shoot him to death. The group goes to Peterson’s office to show their work. The video they made shows that bigfoot supposedly hanged himself.
Production notes provided by Paramount Pictures.
Strange Wilderness
Starring: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine
Directed by: Fred Wolf
Screenplay by: Peter Gaulke
Release Date: February 1, 2008
MPAA Rating: R for non-stop language, drug use, crude and sexual humor.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $6,575,282 (94.6%)
Foreign:$371,802 (5.4%)
Total: $6,947,084 (Worldwide)