The writers claimed that "88.773 percent of Will Ferrell's dialogue is improvised or changed in some way to suit his persona."
Actors Jon Heder and Will Ferrell both learned how to ice skate for this movie. They trained extensively with Michelle Kwan's coach, Sarah Kawahara.
(at around 58 mins) Jon Heder spent two years in Japan as a LDS missionary, and learned to speak Japanese fluently. He showcased this talent during the press conference when he responded flawlessly to a reporter's question posed in Japanese.
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler (who play siblings in the film) were husband and wife at the time during this film's release.