John C. Reilly, Adam McKay, and Will Ferrell on the set of Step Brothers Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Step Brothers director Adam McKay has a comedy pedigree that would make you laugh. McKay, one of the founders of the Upright Citizens Bridge improv group and alumni of Second City in Chicago, wrote for Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2007. It was there that he met his friend and close collaborator Will Ferrell. Since then, the two have written Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights, both of which were directed by McKay and starred Ferrell. The two have gone on to start their own production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, and found the overwhelmingly popular website Funny or Die, along with Chris Henchy, other collaborators, and investors. "The Landlord," the viral video he and Will Ferrell made starring McKay's daughter Pearl as a drunk, abusive landlord, exploded onto the Internet in 2007. From then on, Funny or Die has been the premium destination for original, online-only video content.

Step Brothers stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, two emotionally stunted, unemployed adults who are forced to live together when their parents get married. It opens July 25th.

McKay sat down with Premiere to discuss Step Brothers, his love of Grey Gardens, why he was jealous of WALL*E, and tormented superheroes. As a very vocal liberal who blogs for the Huffington Post as time permits, he also talks politics — a lot. Tune in.

WARNING: Strong language to follow.

Step Brothers was very sweet. It seems a lot sweeter to me than some of the Apatow movies. I liked these characters more.
I gotta say ... that cast we had, those six actors were just so freaking good, like [Richard] Jenkins, [Mary] Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Will [Ferrell] and [John C.] Reilly, and then Rob Riggle — man, they were amazing! And because of that, we didn't have to cut down any of the characters. We were able to have this kind of intertwining ensemble thing happening. And I agree with you... I remember putting in the scene [at the end] with [Brennan's brother Derek] remembering Brennan as a little boy with the kite, and I was like, "Oh my God, that's actually a little bit beautiful."

Is it your fear that your children will never grow up?
[laughs] I think that's every parents fear! I think that's pretty much it, is that the idea that your kids are hanging around when they're 35 or 40... Yeah. My mom was pretty good with it, though. She told me, she said, "When you are 18, you are leaving this house." [laughs] In a loving way... And sure enough, when I was 18 years old, I was gone. So I try and tell my kids the same thing.

It's a little bit like Grey Gardens.
Yeah. You know, I saw Grey Gardens years ago and said, "We should do this as a play," and I couldn't believe it when I saw someone did it. I was like, "Oh, my God!" I always thought that was a perfect stage show idea.

You know the woman from that movie actually came and did a variety show in Manhattan, the young one? Yeah, the daughter [Little Edie]. She actually came and did a cabaret show. There was a little bit of a happy ending to it.

People are fanatics about Grey Gardens. I couldn't watch it; it was too depressing.
It's a little questionable, that movie. I mean, they're mentally ill people and you're filming them like, "Oh, look at them." Still, even that said, I still loved it.