 The name "Napoleon Dynamite" is a pseudonym used by Elvis Costello for his 1986 album, "Blood and Chocolate". Executive producer Jeremy Coon has stated that the similarity is a coincidence and that the producers were unaware of Costello`s usage of the name until the film was in production. #
# Every dish shown during the opening credits is eaten by a character later in the movie. The dishes presented in the opening credits were the work of the three people who present them.
Due to the film`s surprise success at festivals and in its limited release, Fox Searchlight re-edited the film to add a 5-minute epilogue at the end. This epilogue, which was filmed after the initial theatrical run, features a surprise "wedding scene", which cost about half of what the entire feature cost to make.
Features one of the longest credited cast lists in movie history; all 181 student extras` names are listed in the closing credits.
The movie was edited in producer Jeremy Coon`s apartment using a $6,000 Macintosh with Final Cut Pro.
Behind-the-scenes at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Fox Searchlight engaged in a bidding war with Warner Independent Pictures over the distribution rights to this movie, until Fox Searchlight put in a last-minute bid of over $3 million, and won. They would later join forces with Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to distribute the film, a mere 17 days before its release.
The "liger" is a real animal, created when a male lion mates with a female tiger. It does not, however, have "skills in magic", as Napoleon claims.
The scene where Uncle Rico hits Napoleon in the face took four takes.
Shot in 22 days.
Jon Heder`s big dance scene was the last scene scheduled and film ran out while shooting it. The sequence was edited together from less than 10 minutes of his dancing.
The scene of the farmer shooting the cow in front of the school bus full of children is a true anecdote from the director`s childhood.
Aaron Ruell (Kip) had braces put on his teeth for this role (two dentists are thanked in the credits).
Two houses were used for the filming of Napoleon`s house: one for outdoor shots, and one for indoor shots.
Deb`s photo studio is actually the basement of the interior version of Napoleon Dynamite`s house.
Having the food plates spell out names in the opening credits was Aaron Ruell`s idea. The rest of the sequence was designed and executed by `Pablo Ferro`.
In the second cafeteria scene, when Napoleon and Pedro discuss prospective dance dates, Napolean is wearing a Ricks College t-shirt. Ricks College was a junior college in Idaho that maintained close association with Brigham Young University up until 2000, when Ricks was formally named an official satellite of BYU, henceforth BYU-Idaho. Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess, the film`s co-writers, both attended BYU.
Idaho unanimously passed a bill praising Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess for making the film, citing amongst their reasons that the Preston High School administration and staff, particularly the cafeteria staff, have enjoyed notoriety and worldwide attention. Tater tots figuring prominently in the film has promoted Idaho`s most famous export.
In real life, the llama belongs to director/co-writer Jared Hess`s mother, and its name is Dolly.
Uncle Rico`s girlfriend who rides up to him on her bicycle at the end of the film, is Aaron Ruell`s wife.
Jon Heder was paid $1,000 to play Napoleon Dynamite. The movie grossed over $40,000,000 in the United States.
Jon Heder drew all of the "drawings" in the movie except the unicorn.
For Napoleon`s dance routine, director Jared Hess had Jon Heder improvise and dance to three different songs. Hess then took the "best" moves from each song and put them in one routine, using one song.
Jon Heder helped to make the boondoggle keychains between scenes.
Jon Heder credits Tina Majorino (Deb) with helping to choreograph the dance scene. He also states that some of the dance moves were "borrowed" from Michael Jackson, Backstreet Boys, John Travolta, "Soul Train" (1971), as well as some of his own moves.
Jon Heder permed his hair for the film.
Jon Gries in real life is a vegetarian, so whenever he was required to eat the steak on camera (which was a lot) he would spit it out in his hand. You can see him do this in the scene where he hits Napoleon with the steak on his bike. As he goes to turn and sit you can watch him bring his hand up to his mouth, spit out the steak and then he drops it onto the plate behind him.
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