Synopsis

After their adoptive mother is murdered during an apparent robbery, four estranged brothers return to Detroit for her funeral. Their grief soon turns into suspicion when they discover that the killing was an intentional hit. Reuniting despite their very different lives, the brothers investigate the crime themselves and take increasingly violent measures to uncover the people responsible.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film draws on the basic revenge premise of the 1965 Western The Sons of Katie Elder, while recasting the siblings as adopted brothers living in modern Detroit.

• Although the story is set in Detroit, much of the production took place in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. A full city block was recreated on a Toronto soundstage for some scenes.

• The winter atmosphere was helped by genuine Canadian weather. Production accounts noted that the snow seen in the movie, including falling snow, was real.

• Mark Wahlberg signed on after responding strongly to the screenplay, before a director had been hired. Several of his lines were improvised, and much of the teasing between Bobby and Jack developed during filming.

• The film opened in the United States on August 12, 2005, and became a box-office success, earning approximately $92 million worldwide against a reported budget of $30 million.

• A sequel was discussed under the title Five Brothers. Paramount reportedly considered developing it in 2010, and Tyrese Gibson later said that a script was being worked on.