<Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Tropic Thunder </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Theatrical release poster </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Td> Ben Stiller </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Produced by </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Stuart Cornfeld </Li> <Li> Ben Stiller </Li> <Li> Eric McLeod </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Screenplay by </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Justin Theroux </Li> <Li> Ben Stiller </Li> <Li> Etan Cohen </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Story by </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Ben Stiller </Li> <Li> Justin Theroux </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Starring </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Ben Stiller </Li> <Li> Jack Black </Li> <Li> Robert Downey Jr . </Li> <Li> Steve Coogan </Li> <Li> Jay Baruchel </Li> <Li> Danny McBride </Li> <Li> Brandon T. Jackson </Li> <Li> Bill Hader </Li> <Li> Nick Nolte </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Music by </Th> <Td> Theodore Shapiro </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Cinematography </Th> <Td> John Toll </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Edited by </Th> <Td> Greg Hayden </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Production companies </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Red Hour Productions </Li> <Li> DreamWorks Pictures </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Distributed by </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> DreamWorks Pictures </Li> <Li> Paramount Pictures </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Release date </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> August 13, 2008 (2008 - 08 - 13) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Running time </Th> <Td> 107 minutes </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Country </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> United States </Li> <Li> Germany </Li> <Li> United Kingdom </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Language </Th> <Td> English </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $92 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $188.1 million </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Tropic Thunder </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Theatrical release poster </Td> </Tr>

Who are the characters in tropic thunder based on