The Producers 99%

: Considered the "worst director in the business," hired specifically to ensure the show's failure. Quick Facts at a Glance 2001 Musical 2005 Film Leads Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick Director Mel Brooks Susan Stroman Susan Stroman Awards Oscar for Original Screenplay 12 Tony Awards Golden Globe Nominations Genre Satirical Black Comedy Musical Comedy Musical Comedy

: Adapted by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, this version became a massive cultural phenomenon. It holds the record for the most Tony Awards won by a single production (12 wins).

: A flamboyant, ethically challenged theatrical producer who survives by wooing elderly "little old lady" investors. The Producers

: The deranged, pigeon-loving playwright of Springtime for Hitler .

The story of is a legendary satire of show business, famously centered on the ultimate Broadway scam: raising more money than you need for a guaranteed flop and pocketing the difference. Originally a 1967 film written and directed by Mel Brooks, it was later transformed into a record-breaking Broadway musical in 2001 and then adapted back into a musical feature film in 2005. The Evolution of a Masterpiece : Considered the "worst director in the business,"

: Mel Brooks' directorial debut starring Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

The franchise spans three major iterations, each maintaining the core plot of a washed-up producer and a nervous accountant trying to produce the worst play ever written: Springtime for Hitler . : A flamboyant, ethically challenged theatrical producer who

: The Swedish bombshell who becomes the duo's receptionist and star performer.