E! True Tropic story

Yeah, we’ve been giving some shine to the upcoming comedy TROPIC THUNDER… but only because it deserves it. If you want to help get yourself prepared for the misadventure of the pampered thespians (hitting theaters next week), tune in to E! for their TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY. Which, of course, isn’t true. But it should be funny…

Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, three of Hollywood’s biggest power players, Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey, Jr.), came together for the first time ever to create the film adaptation of the legendary war tale “Tropic Thunder.” Director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) also chose budding young actors Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) and Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) to round out the star-studded cast. But then, the bottom fell out and the cast disappeared in the jungles of Southeast Asia without a trace, leaving the world to wonder if the film footage would represent the last anyone would ever see of these brave artists.

Using the only footage recovered from location, E! brings viewers the stories of triumph, passion and heartbreak as the network reveals the real men behind Tugg Speedman, Jeff Portnoy and Kirk Lazarus’ famous faces. The special episode features in-depth interviews with the missing Hollywood hard-hitters before they vanished, along with commentary from colleagues and journalists, including E! News’ Giuliana Rancic and E!’s resident film critic Ben Lyons. Will the men of “Tropic Thunder” ever be found? What were their final words before the disappearance? It’s the most shocking “E! True Hollywood Story” yet.

“Tropic Thunder: The E! True Hollywood Story” premieres Friday, August 8 at 10:30pm ET/PT on E!