Horrible Bosses is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein, from a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx. The plot follows three friends, played by Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis, who decide to murder their respective overbearing, abusive bosses, portrayed by Spacey, Aniston, and Farrell.
Markowitz's script was bought by New Line Cinema in 2005 and the film spent six years in various states of pre-production, with a variety of actors attached to different roles. By 2010, Goldstein and Daley had rewritten the script, and the film finally went into production.
The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 30, 2011, and was released on July 8, 2011. The film exceeded financial expectations, accruing over $28 million in the first three days, making it the number two film in the United States during its opening weekend, and going on to become the highest-grossing comedy film of all-time in unadjusted dollars, breaking the record previously set by The War of the Roses in 1990. The film grossed over $209 million worldwide by the end of its theatrical run.
The film received generally mixed-to-positive reviews, with critics praising the ensemble cast, and each lead being singled out for their performances across reviews. Some reviewers felt that the plot of its dark, humorous premise was looked upon well, and others felt the jokes were hilarious.[5][6] A sequel, Horrible Bosses 2, was released on November 26, 2014.
