<P> The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore . It is the first installment in The Hangover trilogy . The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, and Jeffrey Tambor . It tells the story of Phil Wenneck, Stu Price, Alan Garner, and Doug Billings, who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug's impending marriage . However, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up with Doug missing and no memory of the previous night's events, and must find the groom before the wedding can take place . </P> <P> Lucas and Moore wrote the script after executive producer Chris Bender's friend disappeared and had a large bill after being sent to a strip club . After Lucas and Moore sold it to the studio for $2 million, Philips and Jeremy Garelick rewrote the script to include a tiger as well as a subplot involving a baby and a police cruiser, and also including boxer Mike Tyson . Filming took place in Nevada for 15 days, and during filming, the three main actors (Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis) formed a real friendship . </P> <P> The Hangover was released on June 5, 2009, and was a critical and commercial success . The film became the tenth - highest - grossing film of 2009, with a worldwide gross of over $467 million . The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture--Musical or Comedy, and received multiple other accolades . It is the tenth - highest - grossing worldwide film of 2009, as well as the second - highest - grossing R - rated comedy ever in the United States, surpassing a record previously held by Beverly Hills Cop for almost 25 years . It is the sixth - highest - grossing R - rated film in the U.S., behind The Passion of the Christ, The Matrix Reloaded, American Sniper, It, and Deadpool . </P> <P> A sequel, The Hangover Part II, was released on May 26, 2011, and a third and final installment, The Hangover Part III, was released on May 23, 2013, though both films never received the same reception as their predecessor . </P>

When did the first hangover movie come out