Claim: Will Ferrell worked with someone.

The Producers is a 2005 American musical comedy film directed by Susan Stroman and written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan based on the 2001 Broadway musical , which in turn was based on Brooks ' 1968 film of the same name starring Zero Mostel , Gene Wilder , and Andreas Voutsinas . The film stars an ensemble cast led by Nathan Lane , Matthew Broderick , Uma Thurman , Will Ferrell , Gary Beach , Roger Bart , and Jon Lovitz . The creature effects for Tom the Cat and the performing pigeons were provided by Jim Henson 's Creature Shop .   The Producers was released in the United States by Universal Pictures in a limited release on December 16 , 2005 , followed by a wide release on December 25 . It garnered generally mixed reviews from critics and was a commercial failure , grossing only $ 19.4 million domestically and $ 38.1 million worldwide from a $ 45 million budget .