this film is the fourth of five collaborations between ferrell and mckay, following "" (2004), "" (2006), and "step brothers" (2008), and followed by "" (2013). "the other guys" is the only one not to be co-written by ferrell. it is also the first of three collaborations between ferrell and wahlberg, who later reunited in "daddy's home" (2015) and "daddy's home 2" (2017).