History Trivia / CopOut

** Creator/BenAffleck and Creator/JasonMewes were offered roles, but weren't free.
The latter of whom had recently relapsed and couldn't do the role required for him, which was stunt driving as a member of a gang.

** Smith also regrets his comments against Willis in the aftermath of this film following the later’s dementia diagnosis, considering the condition may have been affecting Willis on some level for decades, and Smith laments the possibility of having held any influence of Willis’ condition against him.

* CreatorBacklash: While he always claims to have a soft spot for his less successful films, Creator/KevinSmith has said that this is the only movie he completely hated making. Because of this this film, he finally got fed up with having to work within Hollywood's rules and returned to the indie scene with ''Film/RedState''.

* CreatorBacklash: With this film, Creator/KevinSmith finally got fed up with having to work within Hollywood's rules and made a welcome return to the indie scene with ''Film/RedState''.

* OldShame: While he always claims to have a soft spot for his less successful films, Creator/KevinSmith has said that this is the only movie he completely hated making.

* CreatorKiller: By itself it would likely have been regarded as just a disappointment after the generally well-received ''Film/ClerksII'' and ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno''. However, when combined with Smith's very public meltdown over his getting ejected from a plane, along with the bizarre ''Film/RedState'' distribution auction and falling out with the as-of-yet-to-be-disgraced Weinstein brothers, it ended up being the final nail in the coffin for his mainstream career. He's since decided to remain strictly indie, occasionally directing for television as well, and only going back to more mainstream affairs with ''Clerks III'', even then only because Creator/{{Lionsgate}} picked it up for distribution.

* ThrowItIn: Seann William Scott said on Kevin Pollak's Chat Show that a lot of his scenes were improvised, such as the scene where he finishes Tracy Morgan's lines and the jail scene.
* TroubledProduction: As noted above and below under HostilityOnTheSet and WagTheDirector, tensions between Creator/KevinSmith and Creator/BruceWillis made this a miserable shoot. Smith has said the one thing that saved the movie for him was how good-natured and funny Creator/TracyMorgan was.
* WagTheDirector: Kevin Smith, a longtime fan of Bruce Willis who had enjoyed working with him on ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'' (where he had a bit part) and was initially overjoyed to hear that they would be working together again on this film, quickly found out the hard way that all of the rumors that Willis was difficult to work with were true. He dedicated entire chapters in his books ''Tough Shit'' and ''Kevin Smith's Secret Stash: The Definitive Visual History'' (in which he referred to working with Willis as [[https://www.joblo.com/kevin-smith-new-book-details-tension-working-with-bruce-willis/ "true darkness"]]) to several key incidents.

* CreatorKiller: By itself it would likely have been regarded as just a disappointment after the generally well-received ''Film/ClerksII'' and ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno''. However, when combined with Smith's very public meltdown over his getting ejected from a plane, along with the bizarre ''Film/RedState'' distribution auction and falling out with the as-of-yet-to-be-disgraced Weinstein brothers, it ended up being the final nail in the coffin for his mainstream career. He's since decided to remain strictly indie, occasionally directing for television as well, and only going back to more mainstream affairs with Clerks 3, even then only because Creator/{{Lionsgate}} picked it up for distribution.

** Creator/BenAffleck and Jason Mewes were offered roles, but weren't free.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/KevinSmith has remarked several times about how little he and Creator/BruceWillis got along while making this movie. They had previously worked together on ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'' when Willis offered to do another movie. However, Smith was dismayed when he realized that Willis was [[MoneyDearBoy only there for the money]] and was prone to WagTheDirector, if not threats of physical violence. Willis responded to these claims by saying Smith smoked too much pot on set and wasn't sure enough of himself as a director.

* TroubledProduction: Mostly owing to Creator/BruceWillis, whom Kevin Smith called "the unhappiest, most bitter, and meanest emo-bitch I’ve ever met at any job I’ve held down," and his perpetual [[WagTheDirector director-wagging]]. Smith has said the one thing that saved the movie for him was how good-natured and funny Tracy Morgan was.
* WagTheDirector: Kevin Smith, who had enjoyed working with Bruce Willis on ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'' and was initially overjoyed to hear that they would be working together again on this film, quickly found out the hard way that all of the rumors that Bruce Willis was difficult to work with were true, dedicating an entire chapter in his book ''Tough Shit'' to several key incidents.
** On the first day, he outright told Smith than that he hated his fans and deliberately flubbed or half-assed his lines to waste time. He outright refused to take any direction such as standing on his lighting mark for outdoor shots and frequently wandered off to the catering table when bored. And when you're one half of a buddy cop movie, this is especially bad.

* CreatorKiller: By itself it would likely have been regarded as just a disappointment after the generally well-received ''Film/ClerksII'' and ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno''. However, when combined with Smith's very public meltdown over his getting ejected from a plane, along with the bizarre ''Film/RedState'' distribution auction and falling out with the as-of-yet-to-be-disgraced Weinstein brothers, it ended up being the final nail in the coffin for his mainstream career. He's since decided to remain strictly indie, occasionally directing for television as well.

* OldShame: Subverted. While he always claims to have a soft spot for his less successful films, Creator/KevinSmith has said that this is the only movie he completely hated making.