Ben Stiller doubts Tropic Thunder could get made today

In today's environment, comedy can often feel like it is walking a fine line. You still have edgier comics out there, but they're not necessarily leading the charge with big Hollywood movies akin to Tropic Thunder. The 2008 comedy is often seen as a film that simply wouldn't get made today, and actor/director Ben Stiller agrees.

Speaking with Collider, Stiller said: "Obviously, in this environment, edgier comedy is just harder to do. Definitely not at the scale we made it at, too, in terms of the economics of the business. I think even at the time we were fortunate to get it made, and I credit that, actually, to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks. He read it and was like, 'Alright, let's make this thing.'"

"But yeah, the idea of Robert playing that character who's playing an African American character, I mean, incredibly dicey," he continued. "Even at the time, of course, it was dicey too. The only reason we attempted it was I felt like the joke was very clear in terms of who that joke was on — actors trying to do anything to win awards. But now, in this environment, I don't even know if I would have ventured to do it, to tell you the truth."

Stiller finds himself amidst other comedy icons of the early to mid-2000s who hold similar views. It does seem to be trickier in today's culture to ensure everyone knows who the joke is pointed at. Then again, considering how popular Tropic Thunder remains to be, perhaps similar movies would find their own success today.