▁and ▁F rost ▁went ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁road ▁trip ▁across ▁America ▁and ▁used ▁ideas ▁from ▁it ▁to ▁add ▁to ▁the ▁script . ▁According ▁to ▁M ott ola , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁green ▁light ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁re cess ion ; ▁if ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁delayed , ▁" they ▁probably ▁wouldn ’ t ▁have ▁made ▁the ▁movie ." ▁The ▁budget ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁around ▁$ 4 0 ▁million . ▁Princi pal ▁phot ography , ▁including ▁ 5 0 ▁days ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Mexico ▁desert , ▁wrapped ▁on ▁ 9 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁with ▁additional ▁scenes ▁fil med ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁at ▁the ▁Al bu quer que ▁Convention ▁Center , ▁which ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁look ▁like ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁San ▁Diego ▁Com ic - Con . ▁During ▁film ing , ▁Joe ▁Lo ▁T rug lio ▁was ▁a ▁stand - in ▁for ▁the ▁character ▁Paul , ▁the ▁only ▁character ▁who ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁CG I . ▁S eth ▁R ogen ▁did ▁some ▁motion ▁capture ▁in ▁pre production ▁and ▁voice ▁work ▁during ▁post production . ▁The ▁cover ▁art ▁for ▁the ▁fict ional ▁com ic ▁book ▁Enc ounter ▁Br ief s ▁was ▁drawn ▁by ▁alternative ▁com ics ▁artist ▁Daniel ▁C low es . ▁ ▁Release ▁ ▁A ▁te aser ▁tra iler ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁film ▁had ▁its ▁world ▁premi ere ▁in ▁London ▁on