The comedic film Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates was about two men posting an ad looking for respectable dates to take to their sister's Hawaiian wedding. That ad goes viral, and while the two brothers comb through the many candidates, the two come across Alice and Tatiana, who feign being "nice girls" to earn the free trip to Hawaii.
Naturally, chaos ensues. The film, led by Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza, was a great comedy. Why not look behind-the-scenes to find out more about the cast and film itself?
Anna Kendrick Wore A Wig
According to Kendrick, the wig came from a girl with "unbelievable long red, like naturally red, hair." Kendrick added that if that were her natural color, you couldn't pay her enough to cut it all off.
Granted, it was a pretty hair color, and Kendrick wore it well---even with the lollipop stuck in its strands, as shown in the film's beginning. Perhaps Kendrick would consider dyeing her hair to the wig's color...or just wear the wig more often given her obvious love for it.
Instant Connection
Director Jake Szymanski noted in this article that Zac Efron and Adam Devine got along from the get-go. He stated that "people believe they're brothers", and given what audiences see onscreen, it's easy to see why.
Imagine if Efron and Devine were enemies or only just acquaintances--the chemistry just wouldn't translate into the movie, and their brotherly dynamics are a large part of what makes Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates so funny and heartfelt.
A Get-Well-Soon Buddy
Devine shared a story in which he was "deathly ill" at one point during filming, and Zac was texting Devine at 2 a.m. expressing excitement over their scene which was going to be filmed the next day. When Devine thought he might not be able to do so given how ill he was, Zac declared he was coming over to Adam's room with Pepto Bismol and towels with some ice in it, and that he'd stay up and play videogames with Adam.
Apparently, if Adam wasn't sleeping, neither was Zac. This was very thoughtful of Efron and shows the friendship between the two.
Saratoga
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is loosely based on the real life story of Mike and Dave Stangle. As is common in entertainment, certain details are changed for a multitude of reasons. In this case, the wedding location was Hawaii in the film, whereas in real life, the wedding actually took place in Saratoga, New York.
Imagine the difference had the film's cast and crew stuck to a New York location; the events of the film surely would have been different given the real-life setting.
Centipede Scare
According to Zac Efron, there was a day when a centipede fell and began crawling into his shirt and clothes. That had to be traumatizing to some degree; the worst thing about creatures falling out of nowhere is that the unfortunate person they land on is taken by surprise, which amplifies the fear of the experience somewhat.
Centipedes are creepy-looking things too; that's the one thing in Hawaii most tourists are happy to avoid seeing while on vacation. Unfortunately for Zac Efron, he experienced the centipede horror anyhow.
Adam Devine Relates To Mike
When an actor relates to their character, it gives that character more authenticity. This definitely contributed to Adam Devine's amazing performance as Mike Stangle. As Devine puts it, he feels he's been a little typecasted when it comes to this film, as he's somewhat like Mike.
As is the case with his parents in the film, his parents in real life tend to show concern and suggest maybe he shouldn't drink so much at family events. Devine adds that he likes to just "have the best time possible out of any given situation", not unlike his character, Mike.
A Love For Brother Stories
If audiences are writing scripts about brothers, they should run it by Zac Efron, given he loves brother stories. Efron loved "the dynamic between the two characters." Indeed it was great, and Efron and Devine were both believable and held an awesome chemistry.
The two brothers in the film were hilarious, but they were also heartfelt, as they were best friends who were always there for one another.
Location, Location
The film has an exotic Hawaiian location--locations that audiences can visit if they wish. A good bit of the film was shot at Turtle Bay Resort; the hotel is located on the North Shore on Oahu. The actors also set up camp there for the duration of filming.
Kualoa Ranch was also a filming location, and like Turtle Bay Resort, is also on Oahu. The next time audiences take a trip to Oahu, they can be sure to check out these filming locations (or even stay at the resort itself).
Prank Gone Wrong
Sugar Lyn Beard, who played Mike and Dave's little sister Jeanie, and whose wedding they were attending in Hawaii, recounts in this interview a prank gone seriously wrong that she pulled. In one scene in the movie, Jeanie has an unfortunate run-in with an ATV and is hit in the face.
Beard thought it would be funny to walk around the hotel and scare guests with the realistic make-up from that scene still on her face, and it backfired. Instead, people tried rushing her to a doctor, though she told them it was only movie make-up, and Beard even received a call from a studio head after the incident, which she says was "mortifying."
A Cameo From The Real Stangle Brothers
The film is loosely based on the true story of Mike and Dave Stangle, who did post an ad on Craigslist looking for wedding dates that went viral. It's only right that the two get a cameo in the film inspired by their story. According to this article, the two make their cameo appearance during the "meet and greet" just prior to the wedding.
The article also notes that the Stangles showed up sunburned after they rented Harleys and rode around the island for the day. Next time audiences watch the film, they can be on the lookout for the real Stangles' appearance.