The opening video with the prank calls is a real video shot by Judd Apatow when he and Adam Sandler were younger. The two other people appearing in this video are Janeane Garofalo and Ben Stiller.
Adam Sandler had to turn down the role of Donny in Inglourious Basterds (2009) due to scheduling conflicts with this film. Eli Roth took over the Donny role.
Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler are former roommates. The footage seen in the opening sequence was recorded back then. Sandler would regularly make prank phone calls, and one day Apatow decided to start filming them.
Judd Apatow had Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Aubrey Plaza, and Jonah Hill write their own material for their stand-up routines. Apatow then filmed them performing that material.