Seth Rogen has not exactly been sitting around for the past decade resting on his laurels. The man has acted in, produced, and wrote for various new TV shows, from live-action to animation, with The Studio becoming one of the buzziest Hollywood comedies of 2025, with a second season on the way. But when it comes to big-screen movies, he and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg have been absent from the feature side since 2014, and he explained why that's been the case.

Rogen addressed that long break with The Hollywood Reporter, while attending the Los Angeles premiere of Olivia Wilde’s stress-inducing new movie The Invite, in which he stars alongside Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. His reason for staying away from directing films is pretty understandable, given the last movie he and Goldberg directed together was The Interview. He said:

That is a very funny line about a situation that was, at the time, not funny at all. The Interview starred Rogen and James Franco as journalists who land an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, then get recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The comedy became the center of an international incident, with the North Korean government threatening the United States over the film, and with Sony Pictures later being hit with a massive cyberattack.

Being “a little gun-shy” after such an ordeal seems fair. Most filmmakers worry about opening weekend numbers, bad reviews or studio notes, but everyone involved with this movie had to deal with it becoming a diplomatic headache and a corporate security nightmare. That is the kind of thing that might make someone look at the director’s chair and think, “Maybe non-dictator-focused television sounds nice for a while.”

And television really has been a way back in. The Superbad duo have directed multiple TV episodes since The Interview, most notably with The Studio, which gave Rogen a chance to satirize Hollywood from inside the belly of the beast. That feels like an appropriate reentry point after a movie that caused actual global fallout. A series about studio panic probably feels near-cozy in comparison.

The industry has changed quite a bit since Rogen and Goldberg's last big-screen directorial effort in 2014. Hollywood now has plenty of problems fighting for the crown: streaming confusion, theatrical uncertainty, franchise fatigue, AI anxiety, runaway budgets and a comedy market that has become much harder to navigate. Compared with all that, two guys wanting to direct another movie sounds almost charmingly old-fashioned.

For now, the Freaks and Geeks alum is back in actor-only mode with the 2026 calendar release of The Invite, and he sounded pretty happy about that, too. He joked that it was nice to see a miserable production conversation happening nearby and realize he did not have to be part of it, leaving him free to scroll social media and talk to Edward Norton instead. Honestly, that sounds like a tiny vacation for a guy who is usually juggling several creative jobs at once. Whatever stress went into making the movie seems to have paid off, too, since the new A24 flick has a Rotten Tomatoes score high enough to leave me shook.

He also praised Wilde, who both stars in and directs The Invite, saying he found her bold as an actor and filmmaker. That probably carries extra weight from someone who knows exactly how hard it is to do both jobs at once without setting your own brain on fire.

Whether Rogen and Goldberg actually direct a new movie next year remains to be seen. But after more than a decade away from features, it sounds like the door is finally open again.

The Invite is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes.

Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Sarah Polley and Olivia Wilde. We’re four episodes into The Studio’s run on the 2025 TV schedule, and that’s only a few of the wildly impressive A-list directors Seth Rogen and co. have rounded up to guest star in this show. However, there’s one more director who I think would be a great fit for this series, and I desperately, and I mean desperately, need her to be on this fabulous Apple TV+ series.

Now, the director I’m talking about is Greta Gerwig, and I doubt anyone is really shocked by this choice. The first episode of The Studio is all about Rogen’s Matt Remick trying to secure a director for the Kool-Aid movie, and Barbie and its success are mentioned while talking about how it was an artistic anomaly in the world of IP-driven films. Plus, the Superbad writer has been open about how Gerwig’s movie influenced The Studio.

That alone makes her a great and fitting addition to this show. I mean, to have her come in and enter this ongoing conversation about the state of film would be perfect, based on that one episode alone.

However, I also want you to consider the other directors who have guest-starred on The Studio, because it gives us another reason why Gerwig would be a perfect fit.

Of the four directors I mentioned at the top of this story, three of them are or were also actors. Ron Howard got his big break playing Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. Then, he went on to direct Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind (among many others). Olivia Wilde was on screen in projects like House and Tron: Legacy before she helmed Booksmart. And Sarah Polley acted in films like Dawn of the Dead and Go way before she directed Women Talking.

Gerwig is also an actor-turned-director. You can see her on screen in Frances Ha and Mistress America. However, she’s best known for directing Ladybird, Little Women and Barbie. She’d fit in perfectly with the talent that has been lined up for The Studio, and I just know she’d give an A+ performance.

All this is to say, so far, the director guest stars have been my favorites on The Studio because they are playing themselves, which helps show how relevant this series is, while also getting to show off their skills as performers. Ron Howard playing an absolute diva was hilarious. Sarah Polley getting more and more frustrated over that one-take was incredible. Then, seeing Olivia Wilde freak out about a missing roll of film was really, really funny. So, let’s get Greta Gerwig in the mix.

Her films have played a major role in making the film industry what it is right now, and she’s got the acting history to exceed on camera. Putting her in The Studio would give her a chance to show off both things while also providing a poignant and impactful commentary about the state of movies.

Quite literally, I think she’s the perfect person to get on this series all about making movies in this day and age, so Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, can we get on this?

In the meantime, Season 1 of The Studio is in full swing, and it will feature even more iconic directors and writers like Zack Snyder and Aaron Sorkin, as well as TV bosses like Hacks’ Paul W. Downs and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson (among others). So, make sure you tune in every Wednesday with your Apple TV+ subscription, while I hope and pray that this dream of mine comes true.

There are some spectacular options right now on the Apple TV+ calendar, and Seth Rogen is hoping he’s got the next show to utter in the same breath as Apple TV+’s best series like Severance and Ted Lasso. The Studio premieres on March 26, parodying the behind-the-scenes happenings in Hollywood. Rogen stars as Matt Remick, a newly appointed studio head who must learn to balance his dreams of creating prestige cinema with the constraints of, well, everything else.

The cast is objectively phenomenal — starring Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn alongside Seth Rogen — but it’s the guest stars you simply won’t believe. Apple TV+’s The Studio got people talking when it premiered at SXSW, so let’s see what critics are saying before it becomes available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription. According to Judy Berman of Time magazine, it’s the first great new show of 2025. Berman says:

Peter Travers of Good Morning America also dubs The Studio the best new comedy on the 2025 TV schedule so far, saying Seth Rogen has never been better, and along with co-creator and co-director of all 10 episodes Evan Goldberg, he busts open a piñata of juicy inside jokes for film geeks to devour. The critic continues:

Nick de Semlyen of Empire gives it 4 out of 5 stars, writing that Seth Rogen brilliantly spoofs the daftness of the movie business, and by the time Martin Scorsese is sobbing in the arms of Charlize Theron, The Studio will likely have sucked you in. De Semlyen says:

Paul Bradshaw of NME awards the upcoming comedy series with a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, also invoking Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage as he says the creators “deliver a 10-part self-loathing love letter to the biz that just might be the sharpest, funniest show of 2025 so far.” More from Bradshaw:

Nick Hilton of the Independent rates The Studio 4 stars out of 5, calling it laugh-out-loud funny and praising Seth Rogen’s strangely relatable Hollywood executive. Because each episode is self-contained, Hilton notes they’re a bit hit-or-miss, but this series is ultimately worth checking out. The critic says:

This sounds like a can’t-miss comedy, especially for fans who love to see Hollywood satirizing its most ridiculous quirks. The above critics aren’t the only ones raving about The Studio. The series is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 97%. The first two episodes will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, March 26, with one episode coming each Wednesday thereafter.

We’re just getting started on the 2025 TV schedule! Along with March bringing the return of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and a host of midseason premieres, those with an Apple TV+ subscription can look forward to a new series from Seth Rogen. He’s the co-creator, producer and star of The Studio, which is a satire about the current state of the Hollywood studio system. Now, ahead of its two-episode premiere later this month, critics have shared their thoughts about it, and they have a lot to say.

Before The Studio premieres on Wednesday, March 26, a host of critics have seen the first four episodes, and they shared their first reactions to the series. Here’s what Time’s Judy Berman had to say in her review:

The series follows Rogen as the fictional Matt Remick as he gets appointed as the head of a fictional movie studio called Continental Studios. Matt is a massive movie fan with good intentions not to make the same mistakes as other executives make in his position, but it sounds like he’ll make the same mistakes anyway.

Collider’s Ross Bonaime said this of Rogen’s performance:

So, there’s a lot of love for The Studio from critics. In fact, the show even debuted at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 18 reviews posted thus far.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Angie Han wrote this:

While The Studio has impressed a lot of critics, there are also some mixed views on how inside baseball it is regarding the industry of Hollywood.

IndieWire’s Ben Travers points out that a more casual movie and TV fan might not be into this one. In his words:

When the first look at The Studio came out back in November, viewers were teased with all sorts of cameos from the show to come including from Martin Scorsese, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano and Charlize Theron along with its main cast including Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn. Many of the reviews also note that the likes of Zac Efron, Ron Howard, Johnny Knoxville and so forth play themselves in the new series.

While the cast and comedy have charmed many, it hasn't gotten everyone on board. Here’s the take of TV Line’s Dave Nemetz:

While many critics are going out of their way to call The Studio one of the best new shows of the year thus far, there sounds like there are some solid reasons why it’s also getting some criticism – particularly for how it might be a bit niche.

Basically, it sounds like mileage might vary for people with this upcoming Apple TV+ show. However, if this kind of comedy is your cup of tea, it seems like it's a highly enjoyable and hilarious experience.

When you think of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the first movie that likely comes to mind is Superbad, one of the best films of the 2000s. However, these days the two writers and their production company Point Grey are expanding their reach past comedy. They’re doing this by helping filmmakers like Jade Halley Bartlett create projects like Miller’s Girl, a romantic thriller starring Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman that recently premiered on the 2024 movie schedule.

So, when I got the chance to chat with Jade Halley Bartlett about her movie, we talked about Rogen and Goldberg, and how they took “a big swing” on her project when it came off the Black List. During an interview with CinemaBlend the writer/director of Miller’s Girl said:

Like Halley Bartlett, I think of Seth Rogen’s best movies, like Superbad and This is the End, first. However, he’s also become quite the producer, and he and Goldberg’s company is behind incredibly successful, and dark, series like Preacher and some of Amazon Prime’s most beloved shows like The Boys and Gen V. 

So, in a lot of ways, it also makes sense that Point Grey wanted to get Miller’s Girl after it found itself on 2016’s Black List – which is a list of the most liked screenplays that haven’t been produced. The writer/director went on to tell me more about why Rogen, Goldberg and their company were a good fit for her movie, saying:

Preacher is very dark, and so is Miller’s Girl. This romantic thriller starring Jenna Ortega handles the intense subject of a student and teacher getting into a complex relationship. It shows the Wednesday star’s character as she descends into villainy when she’s hurt by her relationship with Mr. Miller.  

While developing the movie, Jade Halley Bartlett said she was grateful for Point Grey’s guidance, and for them taking a swing with a first-time filmmaker, noting:

While Miller’s Girl’s reviews aren’t amazing, it's visually stunning and the performances are very good. It’s easy to see why Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Point Grey saw potential in this film and wanted to work with  Jade Halley Bartlett. 

If you want to see the film they created together, you can catch Miller’s Girl right now in theaters. 

Before you yell at me, I know Superbad is one of the best movies of the 2000s, and I’m well aware that Evan Goldberg’s and Seth Rogen’s comedy is considered one of the greatest films within the genre. However, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and mine is that I had a really hard time liking this coming-of-age comedy. 

Going into my first viewing of this movie I really thought I’d like it. I was coming off the high of 2019’s Booksmart, and hearing all about how it was a lot like the comedy starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. I was riding a high, I loved the comedy from Olivia Wilde, and I figured I’d love the 2007 classic too. I also adore the entire cast of Superbad and I tend to like most movies in this genre. However, I hated Superbad the first time around. 

So, in an effort to prove my original opinion wrong, because I feel like I should love this movie, I gave Superbad a second chance. And while I liked it more on this rewatch, there are still elements to this film I hate. However, there are some delightful silver linings too. 

Jonah Hill’s Character Is Insufferable 

Let me start by saying that I can’t stand Seth, the character, not Jonah Hill, the actor. In fact, 21 Jump Street is one of my favorite comedies, and I tend to enjoy most of Hill’s movies. With that out of the way, I think I can now safely say that his character in Superbad is insufferable, and the primary reason I don’t like this movie. I’m not exaggerating when I say that just about every single time he was on screen I wanted to turn the movie off. Seth is a whiney, immature and self-centered dude, and I genuinely couldn’t take his complaining. 

Let’s take the scene where they find out about Fogell’s fake ID for example. Both Seth and Evan are understandably mad that their friend decided to just go by McLovin and claim he was 25. However, Evan handled the situation in a much calmer way, and there was really no reason for Seth to yell: 

I didn’t find it funny, I found it aggressive. Seth had already yelled at the kid enough, this was excessive, and moments like this happen consistently during Superbad. 

What really bothered me the most about him was how he blamed literally everything on others. He never really took the blame on himself, and he didn’t try to help his friends when they failed, instead, he just screamed at them. Now, we can blame this on him being a teenager, however, that’s no excuse. His pal, Evan, is a sweetheart, and while he shouldn’t have kept his rooming situation a secret, Seth had no reason to push him around and be rude to him for the entire movie (with the exception of the final few minutes). 

Superbad Is A Product Of Its Time, And I Am Not Of That Time 

Superbad came out in 2007, and you can tell for a couple of reasons, one that’s problematic and one that’s not really its fault. Nevertheless, it’s a major reason I didn’t like the movie. 

On a few occasions, they used ableist and homophobic remarks, and the way the men talk about women in many scenes can be pretty degrading. I realize that when this movie came out, all of this was not necessarily frowned upon in the way it is now. However, I couldn’t look over it for that reason. 

Along with some of the problematic elements of the movie, this issue with it being a product of its time also comes down to a simple difference in generational humor. I was 8 years old when Superbad came out, and I am not exactly part of the generation it was targeting. In my mind, a movie like Booksmart, which came out in 2019 and is about two high school girls going on a Superbad-like adventure, is way funnier. However, I also realize that my lived experience matches that of Amy and Molly's more than Seth and Evan’s for a myriad of reasons, one of the major ones being that the early 2000s and what was funny then is different than what’s funny now.  

Respectful King Michael Cera Is At His Funniest When He’s Not With Jonah Hill 

I’ve always loved Michael Cera, and this movie was just another reason why. However, my minor bone to pick with this situation is that while he was hilarious it was only when he wasn’t with Jonah Hill’s Seth, which wasn’t often. 

Seth is such a strong personality, and Evan is quite introverted. So, when they shared a scene, it was overwhelmingly run by Hill’s character as he yelled at Cera’s. However, with that said, there were still many hilarious moments from Cera, and he truly was a highlight of this movie for me. 

Easily, the scene in Superbad that had me laughing the hardest was when Evan got stuck in a room with a bunch of scary older men, and they forced him to sing. Cera singing “These Eyes” is peak comedy, and that’s just a fact in my book. 

On top of his hilarious physical comedy moments, Evan is also a sweetheart and super respectful. Not only is his scene with Becca really funny, it also shows that Cera's character really cares about this girl, and he just wants to do right by her.

From Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to Juno to Arrested Development to Barbie, I’ve always had a deep love and appreciation for Michael Cera, and this movie made that even stronger…But I wish he would have had more scenes where he wasn’t forced to listen to Seth complain. 

McLovin And The Cops Are The Reason I Kept Watching Superbad

Even before I saw Superbad, I knew about McLovin. Who didn’t? He was a cultural phenomenon, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s performance is one of the reasons this movie wasn’t completely terrible. His plotline of trying to buy alcohol and then befriending Officer Slater (Bill Hader) and Officer Michaels (Seth Rogen) was for sure the high point of the film. All three men were firing on all cylinders and their comedic chemistry was perfect. 

The cops' first scene when they’re interrogating the clerk at the alcohol store not only got this storyline off to a fantastic start, but it's also a great example of how phenomenal these three are together. When Rogen drew the suspect while the two officers were trying to figure out his height, I couldn’t stop chuckling. Also, I think the tone for their relationship with McLovin was really set when this interaction happened:

Officer Michaels: How old are you McLovin?

McLovin: Old enough.

Officer Slater: Old enough for what?

McLovin: To party.

These two guys are so dumb, and their efforts to take McLovin under their wing was a true highlight of the movie. Honestly, I wish Superbad was just about the shenanigans and hijinks of Slater, Michaels and McLovin.

I Can’t Deny That Superbad Is A Well Constructed Story 

I say this with slightly gritted teeth, but I can’t deny that Superbad is very well made, especially when it comes to the story structure. This journey Seth and Evan go on truly does come full circle, and their fears of their friendship ending when they go to college is so real. While I still think Jonah Hill’s character is insufferable, him recognizing what he did was wrong, noting that he acted like an idiot and ultimately apologizing to his friends was a very satisfying and heartfelt way to end the movie. It also proved how much thought was put into the film, and how the characters' actions would impact them in the long run.

Even though I didn’t love this movie, I can for sure respect it, and I understand why it’s so beloved. I also can’t deny the fact that Superbad had a major influence on coming-of-age comedies, and films like Booksmart clearly have an air of this comedy in them. However, when it comes down to it, I’m going to choose just about any other coming-of-age comedy over Superbad. 

I might not have enjoyed Superbad to its fullest extent, but that doesn't mean you can’t. You can stream the beloved comedy right now with a Netflix subscription. 

The story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — the four turtles with Italian Renaissance artists’ names who became heroes in a half-shell thanks to radioactive sewer ooze — is one that’s been told in several TMNT TV shows and movies over the years. However, it’s never before been told by “permanent teenager” Seth Rogan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is set to hit theaters on August 2, but critics have already had a chance to see the film, and they seem all-in for this origin story.

In the latest movie, the four anthropomorphic reptilian brothers set out on a quest to be accepted as normal teenagers in New York City after years of being sheltered from the human world. In addition to the four youngsters who voice the titular characters, the cast includes Jackie Chan, Paul Rudd, John Cena, Post Malone, Ayo Edebiri as April, and more.  

Matt Maytum of GamesRadar rates the movie 4 stars out of 5, saying there are plenty of references for those who grew up watching the Ninja Turtles, but as any good origin story should, you still feel like you’re meeting the characters for the first time. Mutant Mayhem is the most enjoyable outing for the bunch since their heyday in the ‘90s, in the critic’s opinion, as he writes: 

Kristy Puchko of Mashable calls Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem a chaotic coming-of-age comedy that pays tribute to the turtles’ roots while carving out fresh fun with new characters. The animation style brings a texture and personality to the film, Puchko says, and fans of TMNT should eat this movie up like the turtles do pizza. The critic continues: 

Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence agrees that the animation is one thing about this movie to be praised, along with a “dynamic” score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The critic also takes note of the chemistry between the four leads — Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon — who are given plenty of time to play off of each other. Miller writes: 

Germain Lussier of Gizmodo says just when you think Mutant Mayhem can’t get any better, it does, with surprising and satisfying story choices that prove Seth Rogan and director Jeff Rowe’s confidence that the audience will embrace a few new ideas. The critic recalls smiling so wide for so long that his face muscles got tired: 

Peter Debruge of Variety calls the film a blast at times and exhausting at others. The movie — which he and others say gives Spider-Verse vibes with its creative animation — works best when it’s “unapologetically weird,” but Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg’s teenage “shtick” is neither relatable nor original. Debruge continues: 

The critics seem pumped for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the latest of several big 2023 summer releases. If this is a family-friendly option you’ve got your eye on, you and the kids can hit the theater starting Wednesday, August 2. Be sure to also check out our 2023 movie release calendar to see what other films are hitting the big screen soon. 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has left an indelible mark on pop culture since its inception, inspiring generations of fans with its pizza-loving, crime-fighting reptilian heroes. For actor and comedian Seth Rogen, the Turtles had such a profound impact on his childhood that it led to some perilous adventures in real life. As he gears up for the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which he co-wrote, the Knocked Up star fondly reflected on the karate mishaps that occurred due to his obsession with the iconic characters.

In an exclusive career-spanning interview with Empire, Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg opened up about their childhood love for the Heroes In A Half Shell. The Green Hornet performer fondly shared some of his cherished memories and the mishaps that unfolded during their karate training. The This Is the End actor revealed that their mutual adoration for the Ninja Turtles led them to delve into martial arts together, saying:

It comes as no surprise that Rogen, known for his comedic talent, gravitated toward the turtle known for his humor. Evan Goldberg, Rogen's longtime friend and writing partner, also shared an amusing incident involving his Superbad co-writer’s nunchuck skills and an unfortunate encounter with a chandelier. Goldberg recalled:

Look, not everyone can be an accomplished “chucker” like Mikey. And, according to the Pineapple Express star, the only thing he accomplished imitating his favorite turtle was destroying his family's lamp. Rogen hilariously continued: 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has been on our radar for quite some time, but only recently have we been treated to substantial details about the highly anticipated animated film. The moment fans have been waiting for arrived with the release of the first trailer, and it offered a glimpse of what promises to be a delightful movie, which was obviously crafted by someone who has a deep love for the Turtle brothers. 

The distinctive tone often associated with the TMNT franchise is on full display, but what truly stands out is the presence of the Sausage Party duo’s creative influence. Interestingly, there are also noticeable similarities to another beloved animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Here’s hoping the new outing of everyone's favorite reptile crime fighters is as big a hit at the box office as Miles Morales. 

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's adventurous journey into karate during their youth, driven by their profound affection for the Ninja Turtles, is set to infuse the upcoming film with a genuine and heartfelt essence. Fans eagerly anticipating their unique perspective on the beloved team can mark their calendars for the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, scheduled to hit theaters on August 4, as part of the exciting lineup of new 2023 movie releases.

2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Superbad, the coming-of-age comedy that followed Jonah Hill’s Seth and Michael Cera’s Evan’s chaotic journey to buy alcohol for a party and lose their virginity before graduating from high school. Spoiler alert for those of you who haven’t seen the 2007 movie, but it ends with the two teens pairing with their respective love interests at the mall and going their separate ways. Originally though, Superbad had a much different ending that involved boobs and f-bombs, which sounds about right for this movie.

Writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were among the Superbad cast members and other creative talent who spoke with Vanity Fair for an oral history going over the making of the movie. Rogen, who also starred as Officer Michaels opposite Bill Hader’s Officer Slater, recalled how Superbad was “inspired largely just by our desire to buy alcohol at the time,” and that while they had “a ton of house parties at our high school for whatever reason,” it was “always was a challenge to get booze.” Goldberg added:

Had Superbad ended on this explicit note instead, that would have taken us to roughly the 90% point of the final cut, as the only material left with the Seth and Evan characters by then was them going back to Evan’s house and then going to the mall the next day, where they run into Emma Stone’s Jules and Martha MacIsaac’s Becca. However, even ignoring the ending, the house scene is a pretty integral moment, as that’s where the friends reconcile and Evan tells Seth that he doesn’t actually want to be roommates with Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s Fogell, a.k.a. McLovin, at college, and it only doing so because he’s afraid to room with strangers.

Speaking of McLovin (who celebrated his “40th birthday” last year), it’s unclear from Evan Goldberg’s statement if we still would have seen him getting into one last round of shenanigans with officers Slater and Michaels (i.e. setting the police car on fire and shooting at the flaming wreckage) before getting this final moment with Hill’s Seth and Cera’s Evan. Regardless, no doubt landing on the movie’s ultimate ending contribute to the warm reception Superbad received. Opening on August 17, 2007, Superbad was met with a lot of positive reviews and made over $170 million at the worldwide box office. The movie played a big role in launching Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Emma Stone to Hollywood stardom, although Cera was fairly well known at that point for Arrested Development. Although producer Judd Apatow came up with a story for Superbad 2, there’s been no progress with making it happen, especially since Hill would only want to do the sequel when he’s 80.

We’ll pass along any other interesting details about how Superbad came together as the 15th anniversary is celebrated. Those of you with your eyes looking to the future rather than the past should acquaint yourselves with our 2022 release schedule and 2023 release schedule.

Seth Rogen is a name that almost everyone who is familiar with comedy and slapstick humor knows. While you wouldn’t know it from his on screen semi-loser, stoner personas, the man is actually very successful in what he does: making films and series that people love, and making people laugh. He, along with his creative partner Evan Goldberg, are acting executive producers for Amazon’s The Boys, and apparently the journey to see the series to fruition has been one wild ride. 

In a recent appearance on Now We Feast’s Hot Ones segment, Seth Rogen explains that he and Evan Goldberg actually wanted to do a The Boys movie years before it was ever given a series order at Amazon. Rogen recounts that the creative duo even submitted the idea to Sony, who agreed that it was a good idea (though they amusingly gave the project to someone else). Here it is in Rogen’s own words:

Adam McKay, who seems to run in the same circle as Seth Rogen, was set to write and direct a film based on The Boys’ comic book series for Sony back in 2010. The project never really got off the ground though, and apparently made its way back to Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Now, Amazon’s original series has seen a good amount of success and is on its third season, with not just one The Boys spinoff, but two spin-off series in the works. 

Seth Rogen has been a prevalent face in the comedy genre of Hollywood for a while now. He’s been the writer behind a number of now cult classics, like Pineapple Express and Superbad, as well as in front of the camera as an actor in those same productions and more. Nowadays it seems as though he is in his second act, diving into more behind the scenes productions and taking on other creative ventures.

Not only does Rogen have plenty of upcoming Hollywood projects and on the horizon, but Seth Rogen has also started his own weed company. Even more, he’s also become quite the pottery master, and released his own memoir style book, Yearbook, last year ( and Drew Barrymore confirmed it's pretty damn hilarious). 

As for The Boys and its related projects, though, Season 3 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June  3, with both the live-action spinoff and the animated The Boys: Diabolical series not yet having a release date. Still, The Boys has come a long way from when Rogen and his partner pitched it as a film to Sony, and they will have plenty to show for the unconventional road the project took to get there.

Most would agree that Seth Rogen is definitely one of the most unique creatives working in Hollywood today. Let’s be honest, not too many people would be willing to write a comedy about stoners contending with hitmen or an animated film about anthropomorphic food behaving inappropriately. Needless to say, he likes to push the boundaries when it comes to storytelling. So it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he and one of his collaborators suggested the Fast and Furious franchise should go into space years ago.

After Fast and Furious star Michelle Rodriguez seemingly confirmed that F9 would take the franchise into space, Seth Rogen revealed an interesting story on Twitter. It seems that he and longtime writing partner Evan Goldberg were once hanging out with a producer on the franchise when Goldberg joked that the characters should go to space. And the producer’s response was a major surprise to the pair:

Well, it would seem that the Fast and Furious franchise has been planning to take on a more lunar motif for quite some time now. And the fact that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg would joke about it is hilariously appropriate. Admittedly, I probably would have laughed off the idea of a cosmic installment in the Fast and Furious family as well.

The Fast and Furious franchise has come a long way since it first began in 2001. The first installment gave audiences tricked out cars and exciting street races. However, in the years that have followed, the films have opted for set pieces and stunts that are a bit more elaborate. This includes a pair of cars dragging a massive safe around a city and an armored tank travelling across an ice lake. Even the spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw, introduced the concept of superhumans to the franchise.

With all of this in mind, it actually makes sense that the series would finally take the leap and head into the stars. It’s hard to say what would take Dominic Toretto and his crew/family to space, but I’m sure the producers would have no problem coming up with something. Let’s just hope that if it does happen, it involves supped-up lunar rovers.

F9 will see Dom and the team face off with Jakob, Dom’s half-brother who has joined forces with Fate of the Furious’ Cypher. Along the way, the team will also encounter old allies, such as the seemingly resurrected Han.

It remains to be seen if F9 will actually involve space travel, but all signs seem to be pointing to that being the case. We’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out, and whether Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg receive any kind of associate producer credit.

F9 is slated to hit theaters on April 2, 2021.

Moviegoers are used to seeing Seth Rogen ripping a bong or smoking a joint or two on the big screen. But now, the pot-loving actor and producer might be getting high on his own supply. And he'll let you in on the fun too — for the right price, of course.

It was revealed this week that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg -- his regular co-writer, co-director and producing partner -- have launched their own cannabis company called Houseplant. The goal is not only to sell recreational drugs to the masses, but to teach them about proper smoking as well. As it was reported by Entertainment Weekly, the newly-announced business enterprise only has one weed product currently available on its website: a sativa strain. But the venture is expected to expand and grow in the weeks and months to come. And of course, that won't be the only thing that's going to grow. Expect more selections to come in the future.

Unfortunately, for those buyers looking to get the product early, Houseplant is currently only selling in British Columbia. Like a seed, this business opportunity is going to grow slowly-but-steadily, particularly as Houseplant expands with legal retailers. But beyond its desires to sell some dank goodness, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's company wants to educate users "beyond safe and responsible use of cannabis product," according to a mission statement found on their new website.

Here's a quote from a retro instructional video found on the Houseplant website:

So it should be noted that Houseplant is interested in more than just selling weed. Rather, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg want to get political with their ambitions and destroy the biases and negative connotations that have come with drug use in the public image. Additionally, they want to work with politicians and other political figures to help free criminals who have been locked up for minor drug offenses.

That is certainly a big, ambitious undertaking. And it sounds like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are optimistic in their newest business venture. As noted above, Houseplant is still in the early days of its journey, and the details are limited beyond what is currently available on its sparse website. But one should expect to hear more about this new cannabis company in the months to come. If there's more to report, we'll keep you posted on what in store for Seth Rogen's brand new joint.

Meanwhile, Seth Rogen continues to keep himself busy with a variety of projects, both in front of and behind the camera. He will next be seen in the romantic comedy Long Shot, which also stars Charlize Theron and hits theaters on May 3rd. He also provides his voice to the role of Pumbaa in Disney's live-action remake of The Lion King, and he'll play a dual role in an upcoming, untitled pickle comedy, which should come out at some point later this year. Seth Rogen certainly has a lot going on.

With AMC's Preacher wrapping up its wild Season 2 run, our televisions will temporarily be without any comic book shows that were co-created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. But that could all change soon, as the duo'slong-gestating live-action adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robinson's dark and superpowered comic series The Boys, which also has Supernatural creator Eric Kripke on the creative team, has potentially secured its future at a new home: Amazon.

At this point, things still aren't set in concrete, but Amazon did put in a script order for The Boys, and Variety is saying that the action-packed drama is being eyed for a straight-to-series order. So assuming that script is a polished piece of art, we might very likely be streaming The Boys by this time next year. No pilot is necessary, really, since Amazon execs need only look at Preacher's series premiere to get a sense of how screenwriter Eric Kripke would bring the script to life, as well as how Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg would take on the directorial duties. After all, Preacher is also a Garth Ennis title, and even though the two titles don't have much in common by way of subject matter, it's all about nailing the tone.

This news is pretty surprising, since The Boys was initially set up last year to become another comic book series for premium cabler Cinemax, which also has Robert Kirkman's Outcast on the schedule. But something apparently went screwy there, since it's now apparently heading to the streaming-only world of Amazon, where fellow comic book hero The Tick recently debuted his own (rebooted) TV show. That switch should be just as exciting for fans, since Amazon is just as likely as Cinemax to let Seth Rogen & Co. get real with the NSFW material. (We probably shouldn't ever expect Rogen to hop on to any non-NSFW comic projects from mainstream studios like Marvel.)

First published in 2006 -- initially through DC imprint Wildstorm, though it soon moved to the less constricting Dynamite Entertainment -- The Boys is set in a world where superheroes not only exist, but they're held in the same sights as celebrities, and many of them get into situations that threaten the very world they're aiming to protect. (And in some pretty disturbing and disgusting ways, too.) As such, a middleman group is formed by the CIA, dubbed The Boys, whose uniquely monikered members are tasked with keeping an eye on the power-filled community, especially the supergroup The Seven. There's Mother's Milk, Billy Butcher, The Female, The Frenchman and Wee Hughie, with the latter inspiring tons of fans to call for Simon Pegg to take the role in any live-action format that happened. (He's since said he's probably too old now for the role.)

The Boys ended its run in 2012 after 72 issues, but it was originally going to be a film from director Adam McKay, who got involved back in 2010. The project started up at Columbia Pictures, which later backed off of its option, which was then picked up by Paramount, who apparently also lost touch along the way. The potential Amazon series is being produced through Sony Pictures TV.

While we're waiting to hear about The Boys' future, don't forget to tune into AMC on Monday, September 11, for the shocking Season 2 finale for Preacher, which airs at 9:00 p.m. ET. And to see everything else coming to primetime and beyond soon, head to our fall premiere schedule.

The Walking Dead will always be Robert Kirkman's most famous work, as he both created the comic book series (and is still writing it) and developed the hit AMC TV adaptation. However, the zombie-infested tale isn't the only long-running story Kirkman masterminded. Shortly before The Walking Dead comic book began publication at Image Comics, he created the superhero comic Invincible for the same company. Now Invincible is getting its shot at scoring fame outside of the printed page, as Kirkman is developing an Invincible movie with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Universal has tapped Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to write, direct and produce a cinematic adaptation of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, which has been publishing continuously since 2003. Kirkman will also produce the movie through his company Skybound Entertainment, which, according to THR, has a first-look deal with Universal. While the Invincible movie is yet another comic book for Kirkman's resume, it will be Rogen and Goldberg's second foray into comic book media together, as they developed and executive produce the AMC series Preacher, based of the series from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. Rogen also starred in 2011's The Green Hornet, a character who has led plenty of comic books over the decades.

Invincible follows the adventures of Mark Sebastian Grayson, son of the superhero Omni-Man, once the world's greatest enhanced protector. Upon turning 17, Mark's superpowers start to awaken, like super strength, flight, speed, regeneration, etc. Basically, it's a power set similar to Superman's. Despite taking the codename Invincible, Markus has been nearly killed on several occasions, and the series has followed him getting the hang of his abilities as he protects the Earth, as well as learning about his extraterrestrial origins. Along with his solo adventures, Mark also occasionally worked with a group of fellow superheroes called The Teen Team.

Kirkman announced last summer that the series would conclude before the end of 2017, so even though longtime fans of the comic will soon see this saga come to an end, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Robert Kirkman's movie will let them see at least a portion of the Invincible story be adapted for the the big screen, as well as introduce the property to those who'd never heard of the comic or just didn't pick it up. With Marvel (as in both Marvel Studios and Fox) and DC leading the charge with the superhero movie genre, it's always refreshing to see properties/creations from other companies providing alternatives to moviegoers, whether it's Valiant building its own cinematic universe, 20th Century Fox hiring Adam McKay to write an Irredeemable movie or Disney finally releasing The Incredibles 2.

Are you excited that Invincible is getting the movie treatment? If so, let us know what you're looking forward to most from Robert Kirkman, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's adaptation in the comments below.

AMC's freshman series Preacher stars Dominic Cooper as the preacher Jesse Custer, and it's hard to imagine another performer in the role. According to producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, however, a different actor had once been in the running to headline the new show. James Franco himself could have been the leading man on Preacher. Here's what Evan Goldberg has to say about what might have been with Franco:

Evan Goldberg revealed that James Franco had been an early candidate to play Jesse during the Preacher press conference at San Diego Comic-Con (via Slashfilm). As great as Dominic Cooper is in the role, James Franco actually could have been a solid fit for Jesse Custer. Franco is no stranger to playing bizarre roles, and the preacher from the supernatural comic series by Garth Ennis could have been right in his wheelhouse. Besides, Goldberg is totally right that Franco has the right look for the Jesse of the comics. The cheekbones alone should have gotten Franco a callback.

Of course, James Franco was never tied closely enough to Preacher that he would have been a serious candidate for the role of Jesse by the time production began. Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen apparently mentioned Jesse to Franco early on in the production process, years before Preacher would premiere on AMC. The three have worked together in the past on big screen comedies, but Franco has been busy enough recently that Goldberg and Rogen never seriously talked to him about joining the series.

Unfortunately, the show hasn't quite performed as well as AMC must have hoped. Unlike the other comic-based series on the network, Preacher's ratings have been mostly unimpressive throughout its first season. Still, Preacher has done well enough that a second season has been ordered. There's no saying if an A-list actor in the leading role would have resulted in better numbers right off the bat; hopefully more people will tune in to see Dominic Cooper as Jesse in Season 2. Who knows? Maybe James Franco could make a guest appearance. He may be too busy for a regular gig, but his connections to Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen could possibly pull him in for a one-off appearance.

Tune in to AMC this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET to catch the Season 1 finale of Preacher, and don't forget to check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what you'll be able to watch on the small screen in the not-too-distant future.

In case you haven’t noticed, there are quite a lot of filmmakers who have been finding themselves gravitating towards comic book movies. In recent years, the genre has attracted both writers and directors who have been doing impressive work, be it the team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, James Wan, Ryan Coogler, or Doug Liman. It makes one wonder who will be next to join that particular side of the feature world… but you probably shouldn’t expect the duo of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to be on that list. Not only are they happy with the comic book adaptations they’re currently developing on television, but they don’t really want to deal with all the strings that come attached with doing a big franchise film.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg only recently traveled into the world of live-action sequels with the upcoming Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (which they took part in co-writing), and it was with that in mind that I asked Rogen about the potential of them doing a big screen comic book franchise movie when I sat down with him during a recent press day in Los Angeles. The actor/writer/director/producer didn’t exactly leap at the suggestion, and instead noted that he and his writing partner prefer to work with a certain degree of freedom that wouldn’t be provided. Said Rogen,

Going further, Seth Rogen also explained that it was one of the lessons that he and Evan Goldberg took away from the making of Green Hornet a few years ago, really narrowing the whole idea down to two simple points:

So instead of enlisting with either Marvel Studios or the folks over at Warner Bros./DC, it looks like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are much happier adapting Vertigo comics like Preacher and The Boys on television. Perhaps they can even expand that idea further. I’m totally game form them to start developing an adaptation of Warren Ellis and Darrick Robertson’s Transmetropolitan.

Fans of Seth Rogen and comic books will soon see the two worlds collide with the debut of Preacher on AMC starting Sunday May 22nd, but if you’re more interested in seeing Rogen on the screen and being funny, you’ll be able to check Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising in theaters this Friday, May 20th.

Comic book shows on TV are generally takes from superheroic source material, but many other corners of the comic world thankfully get the attention they deserve. AMC, hoping to create the same kind of success it found with adapting The Walking Dead, will soon bring Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s spiritually supernatural Preacher to live-action for the first time. As you might have imagined and possibly dreaded, the TV show will be quite different from the hyper-blasphemous and violent books, but everyone involved believes it’ll make everyone happy anyway.

Creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, along with showrunner Sam Catlin, were at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in promotion of Preacher, and Rogen let people know the reality of the situation, according to EW.

Anyone who has read the comics knows there are a ton of moments and details that would be really hard to bring to cable television, and even though lots of them are the exact moments that we’d want to see in the first place, compromises have to be made. (The same thing has happened to Lucifer over on Fox.) We know that Dominic Cooper’s Jesse Custer will indeed be on a deadly mission to find God, with the help of Ruth Negga’s Tulip and Joe Gilgun’s Cassidy, but there will likely be an excision of religious aspects, along with some of the more disgusting elements, as well as the cursing. I still hope his lighter says “Fuck Communism,” even if it has to get blurred out. Maybe.

Even though creators usually do give their approval to adaptations and are able to accept each piece of media for what it is, Garth Ennis’ success and respect within the business make his blessing worth more. Evan Goldberg explained things a little more, according to SlashFilm.

Perhaps like The Walking Dead does, we’ll see new things added to the story, with some other elements and characters combined and streamlined. The first trailer already got me pumped up enough to not necessarily care right away about what I won’t be getting to see, since there’s so much that we will get to see. Plus, the three of them promise that the show will be full of Easter eggs for comic fans to notice, and that the violence will be coupled with comedy the whole way through.

Could Preacher become one of the most-watched comic book shows of 2016 even without specifically porting the comic events over to the small screen? Find out when it debuts its 10-episode Season 1 on AMC at some point later this year.

Holy crap, guys. Somebody out there in TV land has a pulse and they’re using it to bring one of the most promising projects out there a step closer to reality. AMC is moving forward with their upcoming adaptation of the beloved comic series Preacher by officially ordering its pilot. We’re not setting our DVRs just yet, but we’re also not taking any good news for granted here.

Preacher is coming to fans from Seth Rogen and his writer/director partner Evan Goldberg and their Point Grey production company, along with Original Film. The duo have already cranked out the screenplay for the pilot and will share directing duties on it. They’ve previously directed This is the End and the upcoming assassination comedy The Interview, so it’s obvious that Preacher is a wholly different branch of fiction for them to be working on, but they’ll have former Breaking Bad writer/producer Sam Catlin to help them out as showrunner.

Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon in 1995, the Vertigo series Preacher followed small town Texas preacher Jesse Custer, who was possessed by a supernatural being named Genesis that caused him to destroy his own church and massacre his congregation. He is on a trek across the nation to seek out God, who has been hiding out from heaven ever since Genesis came into existence. He’ll take on a slew of dangerous supernatural foes with the help of his old girlfriend Tulip O’Hare and the liquor-loving Irish vampire Cassidy. Considering the pedigree AMC has for original programming, Preacher could very well be one of the most prestigious horror-tinged series out there. Assuming it makes it to series of course.

Here’s how Rogen reacted to the news in a press release, according to Variety.

I’m pretty sure their version of Cassidy is going to tell at least ONE dick joke.

Now we get to anticipate the casting announcements, which is both extremely exciting and nausea-inducing all at the same time. Take a look at the three main characters below and try to picture who you think would work best for each role. I can’t get the idea of Married With Children’s David Faustino out of my head for Cassidy, and there’s something so wrong about that.

Will Preacher raise more eyebrows than NBC’s poorly-rated comic adaptation Constantine has? (I’m still kind of surprised that show exists.) Here’s hoping the pilot is so good that AMC orders however many seasons it takes to tell the whole story.

While most of the characters in Rogen and Goldberg’s This Is The End find a way to get raptured and taken off to heaven, that was not the fate that wound up being orchestrated for James Franco. Instead, a plan to "sacrifice" himself in the third act of the movie goes horribly awry, and he winds up getting eaten by Danny McBride and his team of cannibals. It’s hysterical to see unfold watching the film, but apparently James Franco has carried a bit of a chip on his shoulder about it ever since he did the movie.

Last December – approximately six months after the release of This Is The End - I had the opportunity to travel to the set of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s new film, The Interview, and while sitting down to interview Franco, Rogen and Goldberg it was revealed that the former has not only not forgiven his friends for killing him off, but also constantly mentions it. The subject came up while Franco was discussing the personality of his character, David Skylark, in the new film. Describing his latest on-screen personality as a "suit-wearing dude who is very much about his appearance," the actor said that the way Skylark was scripted was similar to the way he was originally written into This Is The End. He then added that that he got the role in The Interview because Rogen and Goldberg "probably felt guilty" about murdering him in their last movie – which got an instantaneous reaction from the two directors.

"He thinks we made a terrible mistake," Goldberg said.

"He’s never gotten over that," Rogen added, laughing heartily. "He literally brought it up five minutes ago."

Naturally, this is as un-serious a grudge as you’ll ever find in Hollywood. After all, Franco and Rogen came up together in the industry, first co-starring together in the short-lived Freaks and Geeks before appearing alongside each other in big features like Pineapple Express and This Is The End. Franco may be kind of upset that he didn’t wind up going to heaven in Rogen and Golberg’s directorial debut, but don’t expect it to derail years of successful collaboration.

James Franco and Seth Rogen will next be appearing with each other in The Interview, which will be in theaters on December 25th. If that’s just too long a wait for you, I would recommend reading my full set visit report here and then follow that up by going to the second page of this article to check out the movie’s hysterical red band trailer.

After years of success writing some of the funniest moves in Hollywood, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg truly stepped up their game in 2013. The duo made their directorial debut with This Is The End, and the apocalyptic comedy was not only a smash hit at the box office, but also won mass critic approval. Now they are back to show that their freshman effort was no fluke, and they’re doing so with a project that is equal parts funny, epic and controversial. In December, audiences worldwide will get to see the new comedy The Interview, but it was around that time last year that I got a special early sneak peek at the film.

Based on a screenplay by Rogen, Goldberg and Dan Sterling, The Interview centers on Dave Skylark (James Franco) and Aaron Rapoport (Rogen), a celebrity talk show host and his producer. Together they are offered a rare and extraordinary opportunity to travel to North Korea and interview dictator Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), as the despot turns out to be a big fan of Skylark’s work. But as though this situation weren’t strange enough, it escalates even further when the CIA gets wind of the trip has asks Dave and Aaron to assassinate their interview subject.

Last winter, I had the pleasure of flying up to Vancouver, British Columbia where I joined a small group of other film journalists to visit the set of the upcoming political comedy - which was actually in its final day of production when we were on site. Both watching some of the filming and interviewing the stars and filmmakers, we learned a number of fascinating facts and heard a bunch of funny behind the scenes stories about the film – all of which I’m very happy I can now share. Read on and enjoy!

Kim Jong-un Really Loves Katy Perry and Margaritas – But That Doesn’t Make Him Gay

To call the relationship between Kim Jong-un and David Skylark in The Interview "bizarre" would be a severe understatement. The dictator finds something endlessly charming about the incredibly vapid celebrity journalist, and for whatever reason it leads to him drop his guard and share his deepest, most personal secrets. Like the fact that he really loves Katy Perry’s music

The scene we watched filmed during our day on set was set inside one of Kim-Jong-un’s tanks, which the North Korean leader was taking Skylark for a joy ride in. Messing around with the various buttons and switches, Skylark turns on the stereo – resulting in "Firework" blaring from the speakers. Kim is very embarrassed of this at first, but soon he and the American begin to bond over their mutual love of Perry’s music. It gets even funnier when Kim asks his new friend if liking Katy Perry and margaritas is "gay." Says Skylark, "If the cost for liking margaritas is taking a cock up the ass, bartender, I’ll take two!"

Adding a strange twist to the whole scene is the fact that it’s partially based in truth. As actor Randall Park explained to us, Kim Jong-un was regularly scolded by his father for being too feminine – leaving him with all kinds of insecurities. Given this level of attention by the writers, I’m excited to learn what else The Interview reveals about the North Korean leader.

James Franco Runs With Every Joke That Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Give Him, Even If He Doesn’t Actually Understand It

Seth Rogen and James Franco have a relationship that goes back many years, and it has allowed them to work together in all kinds of capacities. They started off as co-stars on Freaks and Geeks, but then Pineapple Express had Franco working with Rogen The Writer (having penned the screenplay with Evan Goldberg), and last year we saw Franco star in Rogen and Golberg’s directorial debut, This is the End. Interestingly, this friendship has created a level of trust so strong that Franco would deliver jokes on the set of The Interview that he didn’t even really understand.

Sitting alongside Franco and Goldberg and discussing how he would give improvised lines to Franco from behind the camera, Rogen revealed during our interview that his co-star has the ability to just completely roll with everything tossed at him, regardless of content.

"There’s really some jokes that he literally doesn’t get at all, like some references," Rogen said, laughing. "There was a scene when we kept asking him to say ‘Exsqueeze me, baking powder,’ from Wayne’s World, and he did not get it, like literally at all… He kept saying baking soda. But God bless him, there was not one moment when he was like, ‘Stop, I need to understand what this is that I’m saying.’ And yeah, it’s fucking unbelievable. It’s amazing."

Of course, Franco can’t just turn that on for any filmmaker. "I know these guys have the best taste," Franco explained. "I think [they’re] the best comedic filmmakers around."

Dennis Rodman Actually Helped Solve One Of The Film’s Biggest Issues

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and when it comes to The Interview that sentiment is actually rather apropos. After all, the idea of an American journalist befriending Kim Jong-un seems a lot less far-fetched when you consider the fact that former Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman actually has a similar relationship with the dictator in real life. That situation is so strange, in fact, that Seth Rogen believes it actually helps ground his new movie and makes it better.

The Interview was being written long before news of the basketball player’s friendship with Kim Jong-un was revealed by the press, as the script was actually originally made with Kim Jong-Il as the assassination target. But when the news did come around, Rogen and Goldberg embraced it with open arms because it actually helped them stop stressing about the strength and reality of the narrative.

"We want the movie to exist in the real world, and our fear was, ‘Would anyone buy this would actually even happen?’" Rogen said. "And then when that happened, it’s like that was way fucking dumber than what we came up with."

Actor Randall Park added that The Interview may not be without a few references to Dennis Rodman, as a few lines about him were improvised on set. We’ll have to wait and see if they make the cut.

Kim Jong-un Isn’t The Only Target Of The Interview

Given that the movie is about him being targeted for assassination, Kim Jong-un is clearly the largest target for satire in The Interview, but he isn’t the only source in the film. The representation for America in the movie isn’t exactly a shiny one, as David Skylark can be described as being horrifically shallow and is in many ways an extreme parody of the worst celebrity journalism has to offer.

"It’s like Oprah meets Ryan Seacrest amped up like fucking crazy," Seth Rogen explained. "The way that Franco ultimately acts in the move is not based on anyone. It’s like psychotic, in a wonderful way, but it’s far more heightened."

Franco added that he sees Skylark as scrounging for and obsessing over any kind of gossip or dirt he can find. "I imagine the offices at TMZ or something where it’s just like, ‘Oh my God, we just got the panty-less shot of so and so getting out of the car! Oh my God, this is huge!’ You can imagine them celebrating it."

While this certainly will be a good opportunity to poke fun at some of the worst aspects of America’s celebrity-obsessed culture, I guess it isn’t saying much about Kim Jong-un that the movie is suggesting that he loves that kind of stuff. But it’s all just part of the satire.

The Interview Looks Like A Serious Political Thriller, But Don’t Take It Too Seriously

Considering it was set almost entirely in one location and made by a pair of first-time directors, This Is The End featured a great deal of visual panache, and Rogen and Goldberg showed that comedy and great cinematography and production design don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With that great experience under their belt, the two filmmakers decided to go in a different aesthetic for The Interview, and it weirdly dresses the film up as the serious movie it is definitely not..

Taking inspiration from filmmakers like Ridley Scott and Michael Mann, Rogen and Goldberg have sculpted their new movie to be reminiscent of political thrillers, and explained to us that some elements of the movie will be "tighter" than generally seen in comedy – thanks to the use of a lot of long lenses. While this may sound like it should be the opposite direction that the production should be looking in, the directors find humor in the contrasting nature of the look and tone.

"The fact that it looks kind of serious and has this weight to it makes it funnier because it really looks like we’re stuck in like a serious political thriller," Rogen explained. "It’s funny to us, because a lot of things get shoved in asses in this movie."

Randall Park Really, Really, Really Hated His Haircut For The Movie

Given the opportunity to play Kim Jong-un in The Interview, Randall Park truly went all out for his performance. Not only did he gain 15 pounds for the part, he also cut his hair into the ridiculous shape you see above. Rather than just wearing a wig or taking some other kind of option, Park went all out and actually got his hair cut to be exactly like the North Korean dictators. If that sounds really terrible to you, then you share sentiments with the actor, as he absolutely loathed the hairdo.

"I hate it, and I have to walk around like this all the time," Park said. "I wear a beanie, but sometimes I have no choice but to wear my hair, and I try to make it look as normal as possible, but no."

Adding even more stress to the part was the fact that he wasn’t actually told to gain weight until the very last minute. The original plan was to have him wear prosthetics to make him look heavier, but it was ultimately determined that they didn’t look good enough on camera. As a result, before cameras started rolling he has to put on a lot of weight really fast.

"I pretty much ate everything that I wanted, that I like, and have always wanted to eat. I just didn’t hold myself back, and it was the best. It was the best, but I threw up a couple times," Park said, laughing.

AMC’s The Walking Dead, whatever its quality, is a great example of a non-superhero comic series achieving the same level of popularity as the more mainstream superhero fare. The network is praying for the same kind of success with Preacher, the celebrated Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon series being adapted by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The duo have been very upfront about their dedication to the source material, which made me worried the development process would take forever, but Rogen recently tweeted the above image with the message “Writing day.” Pardon me while I do a little Irish vampire jig.

For those who think this is just a weird new kind of modern art, it’s actually the outline for what we’ll assume is the pilot episode for Preacher. We know this from context clues, such as this being the same kind of bulletin board and thumb tacks used in Issue…Er, it’s really because Preacher begins with Jesse Custer, the titular Texan, finding himself the recipient of the angel/demon Genesis, which makes him more powerful than God, who left heaven upon Genesis’ creation. With The Word as his weapon, Jesse can make almost anyone do anything on his quest to find God and make him pay for his own sins, but he’d just as likely punch someone’s throat out to get the information he wants.

Obviously that’s where the “Intro Genesis” card comes in, and the only other thing we can get from this photo is the yellow card on the bottom, which is presumably in reference to Jesse’s first issue breakfast with the sharpshooting badass Tulip O’Hare alongside the callous and impulsive Irish vampire Cassidy. Beyond introducing readers to the main characters, it's also where Jesse starts laying his plans out. Now I feel dumb for following a fake nerdy reference with a real one.

Evan Goldberg spoke with Collider a few months back and explained that they’re going to try and straighten out the timeline rather than working with so many flashbacks, so maybe we’ll get to see Jesse’s transformation right from the beginning. Or, as he also said, maybe producer Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad) would refute everything Goldberg said and get them to do something different.

I say “timeline, schmimeline.” As long as they’re getting Preacher in motion, I’m keen to accept whatever presentation comes our way. This is one of those comic series that I honestly never thought would make it to TV, and I trust Rogen and Goldberg (with a little help from Garth Ennis) to make this story come alive on the small screen. And you know what, after that North Korea debacle over his upcoming movie The Interview, Rogen deserves a big round of applause for following aiming higher with something so sacrilegious. Let's hope there's a lot more Preacher coming our way soon.

There have been many, many attempts to adapt Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion’s comic book "Preacher" for both the big and small screen, and it sounds like audiences will finally get to see one. A few months ago word broke that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writing-directing duo behind This Is the End, would be the latest trying to get the troubled project off the ground with a possible pilot and now The Hollywood Reporter is saying that the deal between Sony Pictures Television and AMC is not only official but also includes a "hefty commitment" as well as Breaking Bad writer-director Sam Catlin as showrunner. Sounds like a match made in, wait for it, heaven. Humperdoo indeed.

Before getting into why I think Rogen, Goldberg and Catlin are the perfect creative team to bring the Vertigo Comic about a possessed southern preacher, his assassin ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire on the hunt to make God accountable for his absence to television, it's worth hashing out the property's troubled history as well as the details of the new deal, especially since they are pretty scarce. Apparently, the "hefty commitment" from AMC was the result of several networks bidding on the project and I'm assuming that means producing more than just a pilot. Sounds to me like Preacher's been ordered straight to series.

We know that Rogen and Goldberg will write the pilot but no word on, well, anything in addition to the script duties. Will the pair write more than one episode? Will they also direct the pilot? Will Rogen take on a role? Maybe just a cameo? There's really not that much more information compared to when the news was 'unofficially' announced. Even Rogen and Goldberg's joint statement on the deal is pretty much just a longer version of the former's very first tweet about the story three months ago, "This is amazing! We've tried for seven years to work on "Preacher" and we're so psyched AMC is finally letting us. It is our favorite comic of all time, and we're going to do everything we can to do it right. Humperdoo!"

To be fair, the official word did come with a promising comment from "Preacher" writer and multiple Eisner Award winner, Ennis...

As far as the troubled history of people trying to adapt "Preacher," it started at HBO with Kevin Smith (the Dogma director wrote the forward for the second book of the series) before several failed feature attempts from well-known filmmakers like Sam Mendes, Joe Carnahan, Darren Aronofsky and D.J. Caruso. And to be blunt, I'm pretty happy that none of those versions of the "Vertigo" series made it to the screen. No offence to those directors but none, save maybe Carnahan, would be able to capture the unique brand of comedy that pervades the twisted comic book series. Besides, one film wouldn't be enough to tell the whole tale and it's too risky a venture to split into a trilogy or more.

Of all the previous options, only Smith at HBO really makes any sense with cable television the right home for the sprawling story. But he's not known for his visual flare and the comic has some sequences that seem beyond his cinematic talents even if he could handle the humor. AMC may also be a better fit for Preacher than HBO, since the series may be too demented for the prestige network. I know they take risks, producing films like Steven Soderbergh's Behind The Candelabra when no one else would, but Ellen and Dillion's work is messed up. Don't get me wrong, they're brilliant, however, saying it's 'not for everyone' would even be a stretch. This is not Game of Thrones. This makes GoT look like The Hobbit.

AMC, on the other hand, seems like a perfect place for Preacher, with more extreme shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead hitting it big on the network. Don't forget how graphic or funny the former could get (the bathtub) while the latter pushes the boundaries of the visceral with every episode. Ellis and Dillion's series is still crazier than the two combined but if anyone can provide the right platform, it's AMC. And if anyone can capture the tone, it's Rogen and Goldberg.

The pair have written several great comedy scripts, including a few successful genre hybrids like Pineapple Express, but it's their first directorial effort that proves how well suited they are for the "Preacher" adaptation. This is the End is crazy the same way the graphic novel is crazy. It's not nearly as extreme, however, the sensibilities are similar as is the tonal tightrope that Rogen and Goldberg walked with the material. Their horror comedy also contains some imagery that overlaps with the comic, namely the presence of sexualized demons and deities. I'm saying Demon sex is not out of place in either environment.

Although it's probably wishful thinking, the writer-directors could also populate the large ensemble (seriously, it's huge with the sprawling narrative taking place in the present and past as well as on two continents and, uh, heaven) with some of their friends who just so happen to also be great comedic actors. While none seem right for the aforementioned leads (Rev. Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy), they might want to show up in one of the flashy and fun supporting roles like John Wayne, The Saint of Killers, Herr Starr or Arseface. There is a character named Arseface. Wait till you see him. I hope they bring the subtitles. There are too many for me to fancast, so you'll have to just pick up the first issue and decide for yourself. Or wait for the show. I will say this, Danny McBride is a must.

Oh, and Catlin's work on BB is also pretty encouraging, having written ten episodes (including "Fly") and directed "Rabid Dog." Perhaps AMC brought him into the fold to provide a sure-hand as showrunner, adding some welcome television experience (and success) not to mention also taking care of his fair share of the writing and directing. Even if Preacher is going to be just a mini-series, Rogen and Goldberg have too many other projects in the works to 'settle down' with just the one and having a Breaking Bad alum seems like a nice solution. Yep, the project is finally in good hands, our prayers have been answered.

Seth Rogen is no stranger to starring in animated films, having voiced a mantis in Kung Fu Panda and as the goofy blob B.O.B. in Monsters vs. Aliens, both from DreamWorks Animation. But beyond a 2009 episode of The Simpsons, he hasn’t ever really gotten into making animated films on his own. Until now. (Cue some kind of a loud splat sound with an accompanying graphic, and transition into a Casio keyboard’s drum loop.) Sony Pictures Entertainment is teaming up with Annapurna Pictures and Point Grey to give the world Sausage Party, a raunchy R-rated animated comedy written by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg. The press release states it’s only “expected to be” an R-rated flick, but I seriously doubt these guys are going held by the boundaries of a hard PG-13. Especially if the profanity monster that is Danny McBride will be in it.

Co-directing the film will be Conrad Vernon, who directed Monsters vs. Aliens, and Greg Tiernan, who has been the guy directing most if not all of the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series and children’s videos of the past few years. Vernon also directed Shrek 2 and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted for DreamWorks, so I have to wonder if DreamWorks ever turned this down, or if it was originally conceived for Sony, who definitely wanted back in the Rogen and Goldberg business after This is the End struck it big. Side note: Tiernan was an animator on Ralph Bakshi’s 1992 hybrid Cool World. Pretty dumb movie, but it looked great. All in all, I’m surprised and pretty enthused that these two directors are on board, rather than someone in the Apatow House of Stars taking a crack at it.

Speaking of, Jonah Hill gets a story credit, though screenplay is officially from Rogen, Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir. The latter two guys were executive producers on This is the End and both wrote for the Comedy Central Roast of James Franco. So what is the story?

Sausage Party is “about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence. After falling out of a shopping cart, our hero sausage and his new friends embark on a perilous journey through the supermarket to get back to their aisles before the 4th of July sale.” There’s no way I could have used the phrase “hero sausage” without having to immediately say it came from the press release. Beyond the fact that sausages are shaped like they are, I don’t see any immediate areas for really adult humor to come through, though it sounds as if the main character is fighting to survive to reach a goal that will only see him get eaten and destroyed. That’s a fairly adult theme.

You can catch some of Rogen’s latest writing in the September 25 episode of The League, which he co-wrote with Jason Mantzoukas. You can bet it’s more R-rated than anything else on TV that night.

And without further ado, the Monsters vs. Aliens short B.O.B.’s Big Break.

The guys who star in Workaholics aren't exactly household names, but they're slowly getting there, and in the middle of their Comic-Con panel today they revealed what that next step might be. Answering a fan question about their future projects, the guys-- that's Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine and Anders Holm-- revealed that they are working together on an action comedy script that all three would also star in. And this isn't the kind of thing where you and your buddies get together to bang out a screenplay for fun. They've got Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on board to produce along with Scott Rudin, one of the most powerful and prolific producers currently working.

Rudin is the force behind recent Oscar nominees like There Will Be Blood and The Social Network with a ridiculous diverse resume, from The Addams Family and Sister Act back in the 90s to this year's Frances Ha and the Coen Brothers' upcoming Inside Llewyn Davis. So while it's tempting to say we didn't exactly expect him to back a project from the Workaholics guys, the guy seems to live for the element of surprise. So far as we know this script hasn't been officially announced before, and even though DeVine was a member of the breakout cast of Pitch Perfect, none of the guys seem to have any higher profile projects in the future. Does that mean we can hope to see this one going soon?

Eh, don't get too excited-- promising comedians are handed development deals pretty often, and there's no guarantee that what the Workaholics guys come up with will be seen as a viable movie by Rudin or anyone else who would pony up the cash. But if you're a Workaholics fan, know that powerful people in Hollywood are fans with you… and if we're lucky, we'll see the trio stick together for something bigger and more action-packed than we've seen them do before.

Video game developer Naughty Dog created one of the greatest gaming trilogies ever with their Uncharted series, despite the third entry not quite living up to its predecessors. (See also: Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.) Given its expansive and action-packed form of storytelling, along with the gorgeous locations, Uncharted’s cinematic future seemed to be written in stone from the get-go. Yet here we are, and Nathan Drake still hasn’t graced our theater screens.

But this is not the end of the rumors, for This is the End directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen recently revealed to IGN that Naughty Dog has approached the duo about adapting Uncharted themselves, and not just one time either. It’s a strange choice I think, since none of the games feature Drake spending a good amount of game time stoned out of his mind.

“They’re constantly asking me and Evan to make the Uncharted movie,” Rogen said in the interview. Goldberg shared that they’ve been asked multiple times over the last four years, but despite being big fans of the game, they’ve never accepted the job because they can’t figure out an original take on the material. “It’s just going to be Indiana Jones,” Goldberg said. “If we can figure out a way to make it not Indiana Jones, it’d be awesome.” Obviously the way to switch it up is making the character stoned out of his mind, but that probably wouldn’t sit too well with a large portion of the gaming fanbase, nor would Drake be able to pull off some of the large-scale heroics he’s synonymous with. Check out a video of the interview below.

A lot of people have grown weary of Rogen’s oft-one note onscreen persona, and he hasn’t really established himself behind-the-scenes for features that he isn’t starring in. (This is the duo that wrote The Watch, if you’ll remember.) But a huge adventure flick like this could be exactly what it takes to bring both Rogen and Goldberg into the kind of conversations where weed jokes aren’t made.

That these guys have been sought after so hard by Naughty Dog is especially surprising when you consider the big names that have been attached to the project in the past. Back in 2010, David O. Russell wrote a script and was going to direct what sounded like a National Treasure-type movie, but that fell through. Then in 2011, director Neil Burger was attached to direct, but he also dropped out. And even though I shudder remembering it, Mark Wahlberg was going to play the lead, a role that Nathan Fillion has been repeatedly campaigned for. Should Rogen and Goldberg ever take the job, Fillion would be a natural fit. You hear that, Naughty Dog? Fillion forever!

Check out the fan-created Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune movie, which is compiled from all of the original game’s cut scenes.

Oh my God, are they back again? Friends and writing partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg crushed it when they scripted the crude coming-of-age comedy Superbad years ago, but they really upped the ante with This is the End, an end-of-the-world dark comedy they not only wrote but also directed. Starring a batch of Rogen's bros/recurring collaborators, the wildly funny feature followed what happens to Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill and a cluster of other comedy stars (like a coked out Michael Cera) when the Rapture descends on Los Angeles. By fearlessly poking fun at their personas, this crew won over audiences and critics, earning rave reviews and $60 million dollars in just two weeks of domestic release.

Considering the film only cost $32 mil to make, it's little surprise that prospects of a sequel are being considered. "But wait," you might wonder. "How do you make a sequel to a movie that is literally about the end of everything?" Well, while doing press to promote the film's upcoming UK release, Goldberg dished on how such a thing could occur to Screen Daily:

He continued with an even more confounding consideration, "We have a lot of ideas: a heaven and hell, for example, and a Garden of Eden version where Danny [McBride] is Adam.” Basically, at this point it sounds like Goldberg and Rogen are just spit-balling weird ideas. But what are the chances of This is the End 2 actually coming to fruition? The simple answer at this point seems to be slim to none. For one thing, Goldberg is quick to admit it was a bit of great luck that allowed them to align the schedules of their stars the first time around, adding, "I honestly don’t know if we could get the guys together (again).”

But the bigger obstacle might be Rogen. When Goldberg was first asked about the possibility of a sequel, he responded candidly, saying, “If you ask me, I’d say there’s a good chance of sequel. If you ask Seth, he’d say no. So, we’ll see.”

Personally, I think This is the End is terrific, and could well be the funniest movie of the summer. But part of why it worked was because of its outrageous premise, following stars who have no idea how to take care of themselves thrown into a situation of absolute inescapable chaos. Whether scrounging for food, arguing over masturbation etiquette, or scaring the hell out of Emma Watson, this bumbling band of bros was rip-roaringly funny. A major part of that was their willingness to make themselves—well a version of themselves—look like absolutely damnable assholes. Would it be as funny the second time around when the stakes would be forced to be much, much lower? I doubt it.

Thankfully, Goldberg and Rogen already.have a different project on tap The pair are set to helm The Interview, a comedy that will star Franco and Rogen as a talk show host and his producer who become accidentally entangled in an assassination plot to kill Korean dictator Kim Jung-un. With Sony backing the project, The Interview is expected to shoot this October.

When we first heard about Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut This is the End, we were on the fence about how it would turn out. With a cast that includes Rogen and recurring collaborators James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Michael Cera, it seemed to have a solid start. Plus Rogen and Goldberg showed their sharp skills at crafting an outrageous but heartwarming (in a bromance-way) narrative with Superbad. But with all these stars playing themselves, would this be an entertaining comedy that pokes fun at their celeb personas against the backdrop of the apocalypse? Or would This is The End be a series of in-jokes that would only be amusing to Rogen's circle of friends?

We were thrilled to report it's the former, a fearless and funny movie that gets celebrity schadenfreude right. And among its many virtues is a finale that is a total showstopper that features a surprising cameo and has had audiences dancing in their seats. But it turns out this bonkers resolution was not how Rogen and Goldberg originally scripted the end. (Spoilers for the end of This is the End follow!)

Vulture caught up with Goldberg, the comedy's co-writer/co-director, and asked him how in the hell he and Rogen came up with the idea of wishing for a Backstreet Boys reunion in heaven complete with rousing performance of their hit "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." He confessed that the idea originally came from one of the writer's wives, but he doesn't specify whether it was Mrs. Goldberg or Mrs. Rogen, A.K.A. Lauren Miller, co-writer of the wonderfully wacky sex-comedy For a Good Time, Call… Then he went on to explain the original scripted ending had Seth and Jay ascending into heaven to come face to face with none other than Morgan Freeman.

See, Morgan Freeman has played God before in Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty. So it's funny that he'd actually be God…or something. Honestly, this sounds like it would have been such a weak final bit killing the momentum of the many that worked shockingly well before. Thankfully, this idea got tossed because Freeman had no interest in signing on. So, Rogen persisted with the wife-suggested Backstreet Boys cameo, and the boy band (can we still call them that?) was happy to get on board. Rogen, who describes himself as a huge fan, recounts, "The Backstreet Boys were like, 'Yeah! Of course we would be in heaven. Why wouldn't we be? We bring joy to the world.'"

And Rogen and the Boys didn't say their shared song and dance for the movie either. Back in April, The Backstreet Boys performed at one of Rogen's charity fundraisers for The Alzheimer's Association, Hilarity For Charity. Of course, they invited him onstage, which you can witness in the vid below:

On some set visits, you spend a lot of time talking to the people who make the film look the way it does, from the production designers to the costumers to the director, all of them showing you their amazing special effects and the unique world they've created, usually within a soundstage. And while the effects on This Is The End will no doubt be impressive-- directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg still seemed slightly amazed that Sony even gave them the budget they had-- the movie is really all about the talking, and the comedic spark between the six main characters, all of whom we've seen playing friends in one combination or another for years.

There's Rogen and James Franco, who met over a decade ago playing buddies on Freaks & Geeks. There's Rogen and Franco and Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, who were at the center of the stoner action comedy Pineapple Express. There's Rogen and Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel, who were three of the slacker roommates in Knocked Up. And behind it all there's Rogen and Goldberg, childhood friends who wrote Superbad together when they were 13 and who are making their directing debut on This Is The End, which at moments looked like an expensive excuse to get all their friends together and improvise in a giant set that was supposed to be James Franco's Los Angeles mansion.

You've probably caught one of the many hilarious trailers or clips for This Is The End, which show off the party at Franco's house that gets disrupted when, well, the world seems to be ending. But for how the movie came together, how the guys improvise together on the set and how they avoid keeping in too many in-jokes, check out this compilation of the interviews we conducted on This Is The End's New Orleans set last June. And for everything you need to know about This Is The End, click here.

The whole project started with "Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse," a short that debuted online in 2007 and was rumored to become a feature film not long after.

Baruchel: It’s been six, seven years that I’ve been waiting for this thing to finally get going and I’m still blown away that people think our little short can be a movie, so it’s pretty neat to see it come to fruition.

The short happened because a friend of ours named Jason Stone, who is over there at video village. He was graduating from USC and he kind of wanted a calling card for potential directing gigs so he and Evan came up with this silly idea of me and Seth being stuck in an apartment together and just bitching at each other, so we went to USC and shot for two days on this awesome set that these kids built and yeah, that was it.

Was there ever a point when the feature version was just going to be the two of you or was it always going to be more people?

Baruchel: Oh, I have no idea. Yeah. I think maybe at the very beginning, but I think that would have limited the scope of the thing and the voices that could be in it. I think just him and I made sense for seven minutes or a trailer but I think for a whole movie people would probably get sick of just the two of us…

Goldberg: The basic idea was: What’s the biggest concept we could do at the cheapest price possible? And that lends itself to making a big movie. We never wanted to do a small version but we would’ve. If it came down to it.

Rogen: I mean we made an End of the World movie in that short, for like literally like zero dollars. So that was kind of the idea, was to make an epic giant movie that, you know, was somewhat contained at times so you could kind of afford to spend your money on the big stuff when you needed to basically. I mean, visual effects have come so far at this point, you really can do a lot with not a little money.

Goldberg: Like Chronicle kind of blew our fucking minds.

Rogen: Yeah, we look to movies like Chronicle and Cloverfield and a lot of movies that use practical effects in great ways. Those were really what guided us and let us know what we could do something that was visually epic and gigantic but for a price that we could do whatever the fuck we wanted basically.

When Rogen and Goldberg finally had a script ready for the feature version-- and a studio willing to finance it-- they started assembling the story specifically for each actor, but only once they could get the schedules worked out.

Rogen: We talked to all these guys about doing it like before we started writing.

Goldberg: We never ever thought they’d all do it - just by scheduling and all that.

Rogen: Yeah, we told them. We were like: “We don’t want to write a fucking movie with you guys in it if you guys aren’t going to do it. So just let us know if it’s something you think you would do.” And everyone said yes and so then we wrote it, after having talked to them all. So we knew we could do it basically.

Robinson: Everyone said I was the first one to say, I'm in. I don’t know if this had been done with people just, everybody's using their real names and stuff like that, so I thought it was ambitious and exciting.

Hill: It was right after I finished Jump Street, I think. I came over to Seth's house and they discussed it with me. There are a few people in my career I've been lucky enough to work with who I would do anything for, and Seth and Evan are those guys. If they ask me to show up, I show up. It doesn't really matter what it is.

McBride: They were fishing around for when was a window of time when everybody would be available. Somehow the continents shifted and everyone could take off for these three months just to come here and have fun.

Rogen: We have some friends that weren’t able to do it, but when you watch it, you’ll notice that not every single person we’ve ever worked with was in it. That’s because a few of them had scheduling conflicts.

Each of the actors were asked to play themselves, but all of them different in some way-- McBride is a much more obnoxious version of himself, Hill a much sweeter one, and Baruchel is presented as the "friend from out of town," even though he acts as much as his co-stars. Some of the actors were on set wearing their own clothes, while others were quick to point out how different they were from their characters.

Goldberg: We definitely started off with everyone being full-blown assholes and then realized that it was too silly and we kind of give them each more realistic characters.

Rogen: Not everyone is an asshole. I don’t think any of these guys are really playing themselves in any real way, but I think every character is rounded to some degree within the reality of the movie.

McBride: Everybody is definitely portrayed in a way that is a little more grotesque than they normally are. Seth oddly enough doesn’t really have any negative attributes in this movie. (Laughs) He comes off as courageous, bold… I don’t know.

Baruchel: I think they take the aspects of our personalities that are most conducive to punchlines and story arcs and exacerbate them, so it’s a tightrope. There’s definitely some stuff I do or say in this movie that real Jay wouldn’t do or say but yeah, it’s strange. We are ourselves and we’re not. It’s kind of Curb Your Enthusiasm-ish in that respect.

Franco: When we started talking about it in pre-production, they said "You're sort of playing the version of yourself that's the most distant from you who you are." Part of that has to do with the dynamics they need for the film. There are aspects of me-- like I'm an actor, I like art, I like Seth-- that the character shares, but it's pushed to a goofy extreme. The character's, y'know, stupider, he's got the emotional level of a 13-year-old. They all do, I think. And you know, he's just a little shallower than I like to think that I am.

Robinson: I don’t think I am as whiny. I cry a lot in this movie, for the silly factor, but I don’t think I am that cry babyish. I think I'd be more like, "Yeah, bring it mother fucker."

Hill: I wanted to play a version of myself – and they'd originally written it differently – but someone who always saw the sympathy in a situation. Someone who was overly sympathetic to everything. And I poke fun at myself. Obviously everyone does in this movie. I went to dinner with an actor who was shooting out here the night before we started shooting, and he had a big diamond stud earring in his ear. So the day we started shooting I said I wanted to wear a big diamond in my ear and they thankfully let me do that.

Robinson: [wearing a T-shirt that says "Take Yo Panties Off] I had a similar t-shirt on at one of the parties that these guys throw, this was a few years back and they remembered it, and they wanted us all to be as close to our actual selves as possible. Literally, some days I have worn these actual jeans to set and then switched into them, into these actual jeans. It's the most comfortable I've probably been [on-set].

McBride: It’s just funny when you read it and you read the fate of your character, you kind of invest a little more, like “Really? This is what happens of me? This is what these guys think of me?” Then you realize everybody gets shit on.

Franco: This is I think unusual because it's being done in a mainstream, commercial movie. But I think other shows, like reality shows, like the Osbournes pushed it further than what we're doing, the Kardashians push it further than what we're doing. You think you're getting a real taste of who they are. I hope nobody watches this and thinks "Oh, that's what they're really like." There are ways to push it further. This is just, this is new because of the commercial film frame and bringing it into a heavy effects kind of film. LIke if the Kardashians suddenly were fighting aliens or something like that, sorta like that.

Baruchel: At this point, who the fuck cares? Like people will infer what they infer, I’ve learned that a long time ago, and if I got worried about people assuming I’m like the characters I play I probably would have quit ten years ago. In those rare moments when I’m faced with that, I just remind myself that less than a quarter of actors can feed themselves from acting and I’ve been able to have a career doing that for 18 years, so that trumps any of that stereotyping issue.

All of the actors have worked together previously, of course, and their comfort with each other showed clearly on set. Some were more open than others about how much this reunion meant to them personally.

McBride: I’m trying to think of when we have all been in the same room together. Independently we have all been together, but yeah this is union hasn’t happened… I think my wedding was the last time all four of us [Franco, Rogen, Robinson and McBride-- the Pineapple Express crew] were together, yeah, in a swimming pool filled with piss.

Hill: My college experience was making movies with these guys. We all started out together and have grown and evolved in different ways. To have everyone assembled together for a movie like this, and have had them start together, is rare. I know this is my last comedy for the next year, year-and-a-half probably, so it feels like a cap to my early 20s. I don't know how to put it without making it sound like it wasn't important for anyone else, only me, but it's rare to get to work with this many people you've known for years and years and years. The next three things I'm doing are more hardcore, emotionally, and this is really fun. It's cathartic and fun, there's no other adjective I have for it. It's fun, there's no pressure or intensity, it's just really a laugh.

Robinson: We definitely done some hanging, seen some suns come up, like… One night we went to the House of Blues, we went at 2:30 and just hung out and then everyone sharpened themselves up… We had some dinners, went on a swamp tour. You know, New Orleans, you got to get your rhythm, this town will exhaust you, but it's been fun every night.

There are drastic differences between each take we see them shoot, with Rogen, Goldberg and even some of the actors throwing out line suggestions while the camera rolls. As you'd expect from guys who have worked this long with Judd Apatow, improv is highly encouraged, and Rogen and Goldberg know they're setting themselves up to find the movie in the editing room.

Rogen: The truth is we’ve had a hundred billion conversations with every element of this movie, literally, for the last six years when we started thinking of it. We kind of know how we want everything to be in a general way, and then there’s the general throw out any idea you want during the scene rule.

McBride: It’s one of those things where you really have to be really paying attention to what’s happening in a scene. You’ve got to be able to feel those rhythms of when someone is going for a run you’ve got to be able to step back and let them do it. It does become that game where it’s like you don’t want it to be like every single person is just trying to fill every blank space with a joke and I think all of these guys have been really good about that, like you can kind of sense when it’s somebody’s turn to do something.

Rogen: It’s so silly to have all these guys in a movie together and not let them riff-off each other. You know, that was always our plan. It’s not that different then from capturing stunts at times. We put as many cameras on it as we can and we hope something fucking awesome is going to happen - and that is kind of what it’s like. So it would be silly for us to be too, strict with the lines because these guys - most of them are movie writers in their own rights. So it’s silly to not get their ideas and shit like that.

McBride: All of these guys, from Jay to Franco to Craig, everyone has worked with these guys before and they know the routine and much improv is involved and so yeah, it’s just easy. You’re just in the scene and if you’re on a good run, Seth and Evan will encourage you to keep going or throw things your way if you’re going down the wrong path. It’s actually been very easy working with them as directors.

Baruchel: This flick is their voice, 150%. It’s obviously a collaboration—that’s not just lip service—but they encourage it. You guys will see that they foster that atmosphere. That being said, this is Seth and Evan effectively given a blank slate to do whatever they want with. I won’t go so far as to say carte blanche but damn near close, as close as they’ve come so far. As a friend and a fan of theirs, that’s kind of exciting.

Rogen: I mean I think our style is probably closest to Judd in the way that he is willing to completely let a new scene materialize on the day and in the moment. We haven’t worked with that many other people and on our movies you know, the ones that aren’t Judd movies, there’s usually a different writer than director - so there’s some level of respect that happens. The director won’t just suddenly say like, “Throw out all the fucking lines go crazy!” But since we’re both, we can do that, which is nice and there have been some scenes that we’ve done one take of and it’s like “This isn’t right” and we’ll literally, completely, re-write all of it in a few minutes. Or we’ll just improvise for an hour and see if something better comes up and it usually does and then we’ll just go with that version.

As a movie that pokes fun at a bunch of Hollywood actors who have no idea how to deal with real danger, This Is The End is crammed with jokes about each star's previous work-- right down to James Franco's giant mansion, which he concedes was probably supposedly built with his Spider-Man money (though he says "I'm sure Seth has made more money than I have.") But all of them are aware that the in-jokes can only go so far before the audience gets irritated.

Baruchel: There’s a lot of shitting on each other’s work in this movie. The only concern with that stuff is for my money, the average working class person that buys tickets probably couldn’t care less about shit like that. Nobody goes to the movies to see a movie about people talking about movies. Aside from that, no, we’ve been able to say whatever we want.

Robinson: Nothing is off limits… nothing is off limits. We had some Office moments. In fact I poked fun of myself in a scene that comes after this, when I go outside and I'm like what's going on, "It's me, Daryl from The Office." That happened.

The film went into production as End of the World and had started as a short called Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse. They settled on This is The End after the film was finished, but Rogen admitted they were having a hard time settling on anything at the time.

Rogen: We suck with titles, we’ll be the first to admit it. If it’s not completely apparent what the movie should be called, then we have a hard time with it. So, this is what we’ve got for now. We’ll see what happens.

Were people just wanting to know what “Apocalypse” this was?

Rogen: No, we just couldn’t legally clear that title. Fox owns it! Titles are a motherfucker. Everyone owns every fucking title in the universe. Like they’re all registered with MPAA and it’s crazy. It’s really hard to get a title. Even with 50/50, Disney owned it. We had to call fucking Sean Bailey to get permission to use it. And I’ve called Tom Rothman over and over [for the rights to use "Apocalypse" in the title] - they won’t let it go.

You’ve read about the panel this past weekend at WonderCon, you’ve seen the fake Pineapple Express 2 trailer; and you’ve watched the most recent Red band spot. But now it’s time to get up close and personal with the two men behind This Is The End.

This past weekend I tripped down to the Anaheim Convention Center where I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with both Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writers and directors of the new apocalyptic comedy due out this summer. The film marks the duos’ directorial debut after previously teaming up to write Superbad, Pineapple Express and The Green Hornet, and they’re working with one very out-there concept, having some of the biggest names in comedy come together to play themselves in a world taken over by demons and hellfire. Check out our conversation below, in which Rogen and Goldberg talk about the joy of killing off famous people, how directing the film changed their approach to the script, finding a relatable core within all the craziness, and the movie’s bizarre Harry Potter connection.

How much of the fun of this project was getting the opportunity to put your friends into an apocalyptic situation and then just kill them?

Seth Rogen: The most. That was a lot of fun. I mean we definitely wanted it to be funny for the audience, but that was also a big conversation we had. I mean, yeah, it’s funny to see famous people to get killed graphically and it’s even funnier when they’re themselves for some reason.

Evan Goldberg: It’s just fortunate that our friends merit a budget to make a movie because they’re actors [laughs].

Seth Rogen: Yeah, I know.

How gnarly does this movie get?

Evan Goldberg: Oh, it gets gnarly. I wouldn’t say Saw gnarly, but it’s pretty graphic.

This project, it started as Jay and Seth Vs. The Apocalypse, which is a really small kind of idea where you have these two guys trapped in a room. Was there ever a point where you guys were drafting that small version of the script or was it always this big ensemble comedy?

Evan Goldberg: We just made that for a student film project for Jason Stone who made the movie with us and then years later when we were doing better, we realized... we were just discussing what we could do and we kept coming back to the idea of actors playing themselves and we put in a whole bunch of different ideas over the years and then we realized the first idea was the right idea.

Seth Rogen: We had just done so many movies that were all about two guys that we wanted to make it about a group of guys, like a bigger group dynamic and it is definitely still hinged on two guys, because we’re not that good [laughs], but early on we felt like what if it was like six guys or something like that, seven guys and we thought that could give us more of a Real World-y vibe almost that we thought was really funny and then we realized that, yeah, it could also be kind of a bigger movie than just guys stuck in a house which is also a fun idea.

So, is it you and Jay? I mean, would you say that it does kind of does boil down to the two?

Seth Rogen: Well, yeah, I mean the real emotional story of the movie is about how Jay’s my old friend and these other guys are my new friends and they kind of don’t get along too well and I’m kind of stuck in the middle, and I invite Jay to this party at Franco’s house which he doesn’t really want to go to ‘cause he doesn’t like those guys that much and then the apocalypse happens and we’re all stuck together, basically, and we all have to work out this shit that we’ve all been going through.

Evan Goldberg: That being said, if you like Craig or Jonah or Franco or anybody else in the movie, you won’t be disappointed.

Seth Rogen: Oh, yeah, no, I mean and they are in it. They are really part of the other group and it’s really about how the old friends versus the new friends, which we thought was a really relatable place to start with a fucking batshit crazy movie, basically [laughs].

When you are approaching these characters, I mean these are people that you’ve known for years. Are you putting their personalities perfectly up on the screen or kind of a heightened version or completely different?

Evan Goldberg: No, no, no. No one is actually like, exactly the same, but some of them are heightened versions.

Is that just to save your own asses because of what we’re going to see? [laughs]

Evan Goldberg: We came to agreements with them. Some of them have full character takes. Some said, “I just want to play a crazy asshole version of myself.”

Seth Rogen: A lot of these guys are really... we’re all really dumb in the movie is probably the biggest thing. We deal with the apocalypse very poorly, I would say on the grand scale of how a rational human would behave in that situation and I think everyone plays very self-centered kind of temperamental versions of themselves. Honestly, it wasn’t, I don’t think it was about how they were being reflected as themselves. I think, as actors, at first we just wrote a little too much into shit they had all done before, and I think it took some of them being like you know, “I’ve been the loud, obnoxious guy a lot of times. What if we flipped it and I was the super nice guy?” or something like that. That was actually really helpful. I don’t think it was how they wanted to be portrayed as themselves. I think more thought just, as actors, it was a chance to do something else.

Evan Goldberg: Something different.

Seth Rogen: And it was that much funnier because it was as themselves.

And this is the first time you’re directing also, but obviously you’ve collaborated as writers for a long, long time. How much did that collaboration change? Was that collaboration in your writing process similar to how you guys directed together?

Seth Rogen: Yeah, it was exactly the same. Yeah, we’ve worked together so much over the years in so much stuff. Yeah, it was very seamless. There was no real...

Evan Goldberg: We know each other so well we can make assumptions of what the other will do, like one of the things the crew always says is, “If I ask one of you and then you’re not there and the other guy is there, 99% of the time, you’ll say the same exact thing.” So, it lets us move really fast. You don’t have to discuss it.

Seth Rogen: Exactly, yeah.

And did you guys know you were going to end up directing it while you were writing the script?

Seth Rogen: We hoped it, yeah.

Evan Goldberg: Yeah, we hoped it. There was a point when we... And then we eventually realized that no one else could, because to get these guys, the specific group we needed...

Seth Rogen: It wouldn’t have worked...It literally wouldn’t have worked if you weren’t friends with all of them .

When you were writing, did that affect how you were working from a visual standpoint?

Seth Rogen: Yeah. Honestly, it was nice because we always write visual cues into our scripts. They just get ignored a lot - sometimes for better and sometimes for worse, but it was nice writing something knowing it would actually be executed the way we pictured it and so I think we did write a few things a little differently than we would have, because I think we knew... but it was also, normally someone else would take some of our more boring sequences and make them visually interesting, and now we knew that was up to us to do [laughs]. And so I think that played into also it also a little bit.

You guys also, just as writers, you’ve worked with some great directors, I mean Jonathan Levine, Michel Gondry, Greg Mottola. So I mean, how much did you guys get influenced from them just in terms of how you approached this film?

Evan Goldberg: Tons, I mean everybody that we’ve ever worked with, pretty much, Judd [Apatow] and all those guys, everybody.

Seth Rogen: And we’ve been very fortunate and I think we’ve worked with a good mix of directors too, which is nice. We’ve worked with some visually amazing directors…

There’s Michel Gondry [laughs]

Seth Rogen: …some people who are very good with emotional stuff...

Evan Goldberg: Gondry compared to Judd, big difference.

Seth Rogen: Exactly, but Judd, when it comes to the emotional reality stuff is better than everyone so we were very fortunate to have this mix of influences and we spent a lot of time with all of these people, so...

Evan Goldberg: Jody Hill and Michael Dowse make shit dark and gritty.

Showing off the most awful sides of life [laughs]

Both: Exactly!

Seth Rogen: So, I think that’s what nice about the movie. It is visually interesting, I hope... it’s a little more of an action film than people probably expect it to be, but it’s because we worked with all of these people and had so much fun together.

Also, you are dealing with this cast of the funniest people we have working in movies today. So, how much do you rely on them then just on a day to day basis to contribute to their scenes?

Evan Goldberg: As the directors, we feel the need to make sure we’ve got it covered. Everything they do is just a stupendous amount of icing on that cake. We think we could make it good no matter what, but they do make some incredible contributions.

Seth Rogen: It’s amazing what they contribute and sometimes you just can’t believe it. Sometimes the jokes they come up with, like that joke in the trailer where it’s “James Franco didn’t suck any dick last night?” I think that was actually improvised...I think that’s literally how it was improvised, how we used it in the trailer and we were all standing there, like “Holy shit! That’s fucking crazy,” and it was amazing. I still watch the movie and notice the shit some of the guys do.

Evan Goldberg: The physical things, like they all do these weird little physical changes to their characters that I’ve never seen them do.

Seth Rogen: Or there would be like a second of silence and one of the guys will say something that works and lands and gets a laugh and I’m still blown away. And I think the fact that most of them know each other really helped that. It was great. It was amazing to watch sometimes. I mean, it was six guys. That’s not easy to do.

Evan Goldberg: And they’re all so good at improv which means they have incredible memories. Everyone helped everyone. Literally in the circle of friends they’d be like, “Craig, you forgot that...oh, thanks, dude. Good call.”

Seth Rogen: And then if they liked each other’s bits, then they would help. It was great. They all really supported each other.

I heard early on there was some conversation about Daniel Radcliffe being in the film. I’m curious about that story and also was that directly related to Emma Watson being in there?

Evan Goldberg: No, it wasn’t involved with Emma Watson.

Seth Rogen: It was a totally unrelated. I mean, we wrote the part for the people, so obviously there was a Daniel Radcliffe and we wrote the part to him about and it went much farther than he wanted it to and honestly...

Evan Goldberg: In hindsight he made a very logical choice [laughs].

Seth Rogen: I don’t think that we approached it as fresh as we could have.

Evan Goldberg: We were excited to meet him and we just kind of, we were too excited

Seth Rogen: But the Emma thing, we’re just Harry Potter fans! [laughs]

If you have a hankering to see some celebrities die horrifically during the apocalypse, then Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's This Is The End is the movie made especially for you. Thanks to this brand new red band trailer from Machinima, we now what it looks like to see Rihanna fall in a pit that goes straight down to hell and Michael Cera getting coked out of his mind and impaled on a light post. The movie looks totally gruesome and messed up, but, most importantly, hilarious.

The movie is actually the directorial debut for Rogen and Goldberg, who adapted the film from the short they made Jay & Seth vs. The Apocalypse. As seen in the trailer, the movie features Jay Baruchel (playing himself, like everyone else in the cast) flying in from Canada to visit Rogen in Los Angeles. While there they attend a massive, celeb-stacked party at James Franco's house...but things begin to go all kinds of wrong when they realize that they're living through the biblical apocalypse.

We've been hearing a lot about the apocalyptic comedy over the last few days, as the cast assembled at WonderCon down in Anaheim this past weekend, and we got a fake out Pineapple Express 2 trailer earlier today in honor of April Fools Day, and there's surely more to come. Will Craig Robinson get any tougher? Will the group get revenge against Emma Watson? What the hell is that beast-like thing roaming through the house? All of those questions will answered when the film hits theaters June 12.

I was about to start this article by saying that Seth Rogen has been laying low lately, but that's only because I completely forgot about the existence of last December's comedy The Guilt Trip, which paired him with Barbra Streisand only to get completely lost in the holiday movie shuffle. But before then Rogen really had been laying low, making small film like 50/50 and Take This Waltz instead of more typical broad comedies. This is partly because he was busy prepping his directorial debut, working with his Superbad co-writer Evan Goldberg on This is The End, the apocalyptic comedy coming this summer.

No one outside Sony has yet gotten a look at that film, but the studio is apparently happy with what they've seen, signing Rogen and Goldberg to write, direct and produce The Interview, a comedy about what happens when a talk show host and his producer accidentally wind up in the middle of a plot to assassinate the prime minister of North Korea. According to The Hollywood Reporter Rogen is set to star, and he's aiming to bring in James Franco to play the talk show host, making it the third film they've made together since Pineapple Express (unless you count Franco's brief appearance at the beginning of The Green Hornet, which admittedly, is among his best work).

The plot of The Interview sounds a whole lot like Pineapple Express, but that's actually a good thing-- that film, a riff on 80s action films, mined a lot of potential out of the Franco-Rogen relationship, but there are plenty of other directions that could go. And thanks to the release of Spring Breakers, and a little more difference from his nightmarish Oscar hosting gig, Franco holds a whole lot more promise as a movie star than he has for the last few years. For a look at Rogen and Goldberg's This is The End revisit the red-band trailer below, and let us know in the poll if you're looking forward to seeing Franco and Rogen team up again.

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While it feels like it took forever to get going, Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse is finally becoming a real movie. Now titled simply The Apocalypse, the project got a big boost late last year when Seth Rogen said that the movie would be going into production in 2012 and that Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, James Franco and Craig Robinson had joined the cast and will be playing themselves. Now, however, the most important part of filmmaking may be coming together: money.

THR has learned that Sony is now in talks to both finance and distribute The Apocalypse. The film will mark the directorial debut of both Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who are best known as writing partners who produced scripts for Superbad, Pineapple Express, Green Hornet and the upcoming Neighborhood Watch (they also wrote the script for The Apocalypse). The story will follow Rogen, Hill, McBride, Franco, Robinson and Jay Baruchel as they are holed up in Franco's Los Angeles apartment. A source close to the trade said that the film's budget will be somewhere in the $30 to $40 million range. There have actually been multiple suitors for the project, but Sony is the leader. The film is based on a short that Rogen and Baruchel did which you can see below:

I'm so happy that this film is moving forward. As I expressed multiple times while covering Roman Polanski's Carnage, I'm a huge fan of sticking a bunch of people in a room and having them scream at each other for 90 minutes. I have total faith in this group of comedians and I sincerely hope they don't let us down.

Updated: We've added shots of the box art below.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is going pretty hard when it comes to promoting 3D in the home. Its newest effort, this winter's The Green Hornet, will be hitting 3D, Blu-Ray, and DVD on May 3rd. The film follows Britt Reid, the son of a prominent newspaper mogul, as he bums around Los Angeles, behaving as a reckless idiot with no plans for his future. As irresponsible as Reid is, when his father dies under shady circumstances, he enlists his father’s genius employee, Kato, to create gadget-oriented superhero gear. Then they begin to head out and do something that is part heroism and part irresponsibility: they go out and save the day.

Seth Rogen as Reid seems an unlikely guy to commence violent action, but that’s part of the quirkiness of Michel Gondry’s first superhero flick. It’s pretty clear since Nolan’s The Dark Knight, superhero movies can’t just be mindless pieces of entertainment. They need to have some substance and ideas. Evan Goldberg has several moments of comedic gold, and Gondry tries some crazy camera tactics, but at the end of the day, The Green Hornet never pans out as a truly great film.

The special features available with the 3D and Blu-Ray copies, on the other hand, could be spectacular. DVD copies will come with filmmakers' commentary, a gag reel, and two featurettes titled “The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool” and “Writing The Green Hornet.” The Blu-Ray will come with the DVD features, as well as deleted scenes, a couple of Easter eggs, a segment about the cutting-room process, and four more featurettes, including one with Michel Gondry and one exclusively focusing on Kato. The 3D copies will include all of the previously mentioned extras, plus 3D animated storyboards, which sound really cool.

If Rogen, Gondry, and Goldberg are not enough to get you on board to see this film, maybe Cameron Diaz will be. Yes, she is in The Green Hornet, and yes, she is still extremely attractive.

By 2007, Seth Rogen was an established star, seen as the breakout performance in Judd Apatow’s The 40 Year Old Virgin and starring in Knocked Up. But that same summer audiences found out about Rogen’s best friend and writing partner, Evan Goldberg. Since Rogen and Goldberg were 13 they had been working on a script called Superbad that ended up driving audiences to tears in hysterics. The very next summer they did it again with Pineapple Express, and now the two are releasing their third project into the world on Friday: The Green Hornet.

This past weekend I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Goldberg one-on-one while at the Green Hornet junket and talk about the ins and outs of his newest film. Amongst the various topics, we discussed how action writing legend Shane Black helped them go against standard comic book conventions; how the character of Chudnofsky changed when Christoph Waltz was brought in to replace Nicolas Cage; and the difficulty that comes with writing a PG-13 movie. Check out the interview below!

***WARNING: The post below does contain minor spoilers about The Green Hornet. If you were looking to go in 100% fresh, I’m not sure why you clicked on this story to begin with, but I suppose that’s on you. Read at your own discretion.***

With Pineapple Express, you and Seth had your first experience scripting action, but this movie is on a whole other level in that regard. How much detail is put on the page when writing those scenes?

The answer is that everything’s been different. Superbad, exactly what we wrote happened, when we have our one action moment. In Pineapple, like our car chase sequence, we had two days to film it, two blocks to film it on, and we had to do exactly what we wrote because we had no time to do anything else and no money. On this movie we wrote intensely elaborate sequences constantly in ten different versions of this movie. We had our Stephen Chow version, then our first Michel [Gondry] version, and there was the no Michel version, and the studio version, one, two, three, four, five and six. So we kept writing pretty elaborate action, because we were like, "We don’t want them to screw up our action." And then they were like, "Oh, we hired Vic and Andy Armstrong," which is the biggest winning move ever, and we were like, "Oh, we don’t have to write elaborate action anymore."

We still wrote out the action we wanted. But an example of how things changed is we had this big car chase, and we want a car to come out with a Gatling gun and start ripping apart The Black Beauty and Kato will go over there and beat them with nunchucks. And they were like, "Great, we’ll film it." And then they filmed it, and as we were watching the end of it – they did second unit without us there – they’re filming the end of it, and they’re like, "Watch this bit," and then they beat the guys in the SUV, it veers off to the left and it flies to the other side of traffic and a semi-truck hits it. And they didn’t tell us that was happening! They were like, "We found it in the budget!" And then the big trailer moment, when the truck goes through the bus, we didn’t write that! That’s probably the most stunning visual piece of the film, when it comes to the trailer, that’s probably the moment when all the young guys are going to be like, "I’m gonna go see that." And we did not write it.

What about the scene where the car gets buried and there’s that huge explosion?

Oh, that was extremely written and very hotly debated for a long time. Because originally Michel wanted to pour cement on them and then the cement would solidify and they would come out with cement on them and Kato would smash people with the cement on his body. And we were like, "Yeah…" That’s one of those too kooky ideas. It was like, "How could that happen?" and he was like, "No, I can do it!" We were like, "No. That’s not happening." So we deduced that we would all settle on a hole – that took a long time to figure out.

One thing is the Kato/Britt fight. We went up to Jeff Imada, fight coordinator, and we were like, "You just have to beat the Pineapple fight. Make it feel like the Pineapple fight, but bigger and better." And they came up with most of that.

Though this movie would certainly qualify as part of the superhero genre, there are certain aspects, particularly dealing with the love interest and the villain, that are the complete opposite of what we typically see. What was the motivation behind doing that?

Shane Black is the answer to that question. We met with him, and we came up with the idea to flip the hero/sidekick thing and really dissect that. And we were unknowingly kind of doing that with the dad by making him a dickhead, because we we’re like, "Let’s do the opposite of Batman." And then we met with Shane Black who was considered as the director for a while and we met with him a whole bunch of times and had a great time, because he’s our idol. He’s just the greatest. And he was like, "You flipped some of it. You have to flip everything!" So he kept telling us, "How are you going to do this one? How are you going to do that one? How are you going to flip that one?" And we were unknowingly kind of flipping everything, but he was very knowingly, "You should flip everything."

And the one thing we didn’t do was properly flip the Cameron Diaz thing. We thought we did by making her smarter than them, but she was the one, she said, "I’m not kissing them." And we were like, "You have to kiss someone!" She’s like, "No, no I don’t. That’s what always happens. I don’t want to kiss anybody." And the studio was like, "Can you please make her kiss Kato? Please make her kiss Kato." And she was just like, "I ain’t kissing no one." And I’m glad for it.

But the original idea was for her to have the relationship with Kato?

We wanted them to actually kiss and make it seem like something’s happening and then it doesn’t in the end. And she was just like, "I’m not kissing anybody at all whatsoever at any point."

Also, to talk about Christoph Waltz’s character, Chudnofsky, the part was originally going to be played by Nicolas Cage, but then he left the project and Waltz replaced him. How did the character change when that move was made?

Cage had a character that he’s always liked in his head that he’s always envisioned doing and he wanted to do that character, which was something we totally could have made happen, but it just didn’t pan out with him. And then we wrote a completely different character for Christoph Waltz. There’s literally no connection whatsoever. We had an idea, Nic Cage became involved, Nic Cage was no longer involved, we kind of went back to our old idea.

It was crazy. They were like, "Nic Cage is out." And twenty-four hours later they were like, "I got Christoph Waltz in!" And then twenty-four hours later Christoph Waltz was there and it was like, "You’re first scene films in sixty hours. And we sat with Christoph and rewrote the character. You know the shot where he’s in the hibachi restaurant standing above? That’s his first shot. We were writing his character as that sequence was being filmed with him the whole time. He came on in wardrobe, in his red stuff, and I was like, "Guess we’re sticking with this red thing." That was a mad rush.

This is actually the first script that you’ve written with a PG-13 rating. Was that always the plan and how did it affect your writing process?

It was always the plan, and it affected it by making it less fun. Way, way less fun. Not swearing is less fun. I mean, if you really break it down into a more esoteric thing, it’s like they’re limiting my use of language. There’s not words to replicate all of those words. We have to get kind of creative, which I guess is kind of fun. Like the movie Mean Girls, which I think of and think is an excellent film. They don’t swear but they swear the whole time. They don’t ever say the word fuck or anything, but they’re saying worse things in subtle ways. I think that this whole PG-13 thing is kind of bullshit, but I gotta do what I gotta do. If that’s the price I have to pay to make a movie this big and fun…

The whole thing about saying "fuck" twice and getting an automatic R is absolutely ridiculous.

Well, it’s all a very, very, very non-subtle ploy by the people in the MPAA, which is the stupidest organization on Earth, to bolster whatever companies they work for in a backhanded manner that we all know it’s happening, but for some reason none of us can stop. I don’t get it. There’s not even a guiding mission statement to the MPAA. Like one "fuck"…why? Why the hell would you let them say one "fuck"?

And it’s just language. It’s the way people speak.

I think that’s one of the reasons why Superbad did that well is that people hadn’t seen… swearing had become uncouth in that regard. And people were just like, "Oh, you guys wrote natural dialogue in that movie." It’s like, "No, we just wrote it like how people would speak, rated R, and these movies have not been rated R for the last while.

Fox hired you late last year to do a rewrite of a script called Neighborhood Watch. What kind of changes are you going to be making and are there plans for Seth to star?

There’s no plans for him to be in it, but you never know what could happen, though. I wanted to do it to make some cash, because Green Hornet took way longer than it was supposed to. You have a whole bunch of employees and I don’t get a $10 million paycheck. So we had to figure that out real quick, I just wanted to do something, and someone said, "We have this idea…" and I liked the idea because it was kind of out there and not just "It’s two guys in a comedy!" And we’re writing it right now, we just handed in the first draft and they liked it and they’re going to get us to do some more. And it’s a super fun idea because it’s broader than anything we’ve kind of done, but we’re writing it now and that’s all we’ve got planned for now.

On the subject of future projects, Pineapple Express 2 is being demanded and we hear a little bit about the project occasionally. Where do things stand?

We have the whole thing plotted out. Very lengthy. We have three versions of it figured out, we think we know which one we want to do and, really, I’ve been the one stopping it. Because I was just like, not to say we’re the greatest filmmakers on Earth – as the Coen brothers kind of are – but they didn’t make Blood Simple 2. They didn’t make The Big Lebowski 2. And I keep thinking – and again, they’re much smarter than us and much more sophisticated and much better at all of this – but I look at them as some of my idols and I’m just like, "Really?" But then I think about Lethal Weapons. They made four of them and I loved every one of them.

But, I mean, Pineapple Express and Superbad are our babies. But in the end, really, if we made a Superbad 2 that would be putting a bullet in our heads, I think. But Pineapple 2? I pitched it in front of enough dudes and they’re like, "Please! Just do it!" And really when it comes down to it I think is I went to Danny McBride’s wedding recently and Danny and Franco and Seth and me were all there and I was just like, "Fuck it, let’s do this!"

I don’t suppose you could clue me in to what you might have planned…

I don’t know if I should. I still don’t know what’s going to happen. Now everyone’s super famous so now we have to work on all of these deals. We probably won’t have time for like two years. I’m warming up to it. I’m still hesitant though. If it was terrible, it really would have a damaging effect on our career in a massive way. But, man, would I just like to work with all of those guys again.

How real are Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse and Sausage Party?

Super fucking real. Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse we’re outlining right now, we have the first run-through of the outline done. And Sausage Party is the most real project in the history of the world. We’re never going to stop until we get that thing made. We might get financing, literally, on Monday. We’re very close. We know which animation people we want to do it with. The script is completely finished and, I’m very proud to say, excellent.

The story is been a bit under wraps, can you maybe spill a bit about the project?

Yeah. It’s about sausages, hot dogs, and they’re whole goal is to get purchased. And they get lost and they need to get back to they’re aisle before the Fourth of July starts. I don’t want to give away too much.

Thanks to the success of both Superbad and Pineapple Express, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are two of the most in-demand screenwriters working today, and on Friday, their third collaboration, The Green Hornet hits theaters. But if you expect that the Canadian duo is going to take some time off between projects, you’re dead wrong.

Just this morning I had the opportunity to speak to Goldberg while covering the junket for their upcoming superhero film, and he was more than happy to discuss the multitude of projects that are coming up on his schedule and where things stand.

First up is the long gestating/rumored sequel to the beloved stoner/action comedy Pineapple Express. Since the first film came out in 2008, fans have been wondering if we’ll ever get to see the likes of Saul, Dale and Red back on the big screen for another adventure, and Goldberg was happy to say that things are looking really good. The biggest thing that has stood in the project’s way up until this point, however, has been Goldberg himself.

According to the writer/producer, they have three versions of the story plotted out and have figured out what they want to do, but it may still be a while before it hits the big screen due to scheduling issues (plus, Goldberg is still hesitant about the idea).

But what about a sequel to Superbad? Goldberg’s response was fairly short and sweet: “In the end, really, if we made a Superbad 2 that would be putting a bullet in our head.”

Another long gestating project that Rogen and Goldberg are working on is Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse, which Goldberg assured me is “Super fucking real.” Based on a trailer in which Rogen and frequent collaborator Jay Baruchel star as survivors of the biblical apocalypse trying to carve out a life for themselves while trying not to choke each other out, the project is currently being outlined and the first run-through of the outline has been finished.

But enough with the franchising, right? What about some original stories? Well, Rogen and Goldberg have two of those waiting in the wings in the form of Neighborhood Watch over at Fox and their vulgar CG animated film Sausage Party.

Hired to do a rewrite of Neighborhood Watch late last year, the story is about a group of dads who form a group in the name of public safety, but actually use it as a means to get a break from their families. There are no current plans for Rogen to star, but when I asked Goldberg about their take on the story he explained what drew him to the script, saying that “It’s a super fun idea because it’s broader than anything we’ve kind of done before.” The partners have already turned in their first draft, which was liked by the studio and they continue to work on it.

As for Sausage Party, Goldberg says that it’s the project that they are the most passionate about getting made – and it might be happening sooner than later. Financing may come through for the film as soon as Monday, the script is 100% finished, and they’ve found the animators that they want to work with. The movie is about sausages that get lost in the grocery store right before Fourth of July. Desperately wanting to be purchased, they try and make their way back to their aisle before it’s too late.

Looking at the above, I think Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen are on a mission to make everyone else in Hollywood look lazy. As we hear more about the projects we’ll be sure to keep reporting, and stay tuned later this week for the rest of my interview.

While there are plenty out there that would be more than happy to disagree, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg may be two of the better comedy writers working today. The long-time friends have written two films together (Superbad and Pineapple Express) that were both loved by critics and fans and should the buzz be any indication, The Green Hornet may fall in line as well. Now the pair has found their newest project.

Twentieth Century Fox has hired Rogen and Goldberg to do rewrite work on the comedy Neighborhood Watch, according to THR. The film is about a neighborhood watch group that is actually a way for dads to get away from their families for a break. When the group discovers a plot to destroy the world, however, things get serious. The project was originally meant to be helmed by Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin with Will Ferrell as the star, but that's obviously no longer the case. With the hiring of Rogen and Goldberg, it is expected that the film will become a priority for the studio.

I've never really been able to understand why Rogen fell out of public favor so quickly. While Funny People wasn't the film that everybody was expecting, the man is consistently part of solid projects. Really all one can do is chock it up to audience fatigue (the man has been in 13 movies in the past three years). With any luck, people will once again realize just how talented he is and start enjoying his projects again.

Eugene Levy is one of those actors whose performance is entirely dependent upon what particular film he's in that week. Like a cocky high school soccer team he always plays down to his competition, but when the material is there, or at the very least Christopher Guest is involved, you can count of him for a few funny scenes. Or at least that's what the new Jay Baruchel/ Evan Goldberg comedy Goon is hoping for.

According to Variety, the hockey flick which already boasts Seann William Scott and Liev Schreiber is filming up in Winnipeg, and Eugene Levy has just signed on to play a yet-to-be-revealed part. The story, based on a similarly titled memoir, follows a brawler who unexpected joins a local minor league hockey team and finds near instant success, at least until the league's resident goon comes gunning for him.

I'm torn. While I have to support nearly any film made about hockey on principle (because hockey is awesome), I'm a little concerned because Slap Shot, the greatest sports movie of all-time, also charts the story of minor league brawlers. Still with an excellent cast and a screenplay penned by Seth Rogae's writing partner, I will certainly go out of my way to find Goon when it shows up in theaters.

Looks like we made a mistake by not asking to interview Evan Goldberg at Comic Con last week. While my conversations with Seth Rogen (watch it here) and Michel Gondry (coming soon) were total thrills, neither gave me much by way of scoops about either The Green Hornet or their other projects. Screenwriter Goldberg, on the other hand, was totally forthcoming when The Playlist asked him if they were planning a Green Hornet 2: "You don’t make a movie like this without considering the sequel. Yeah, we have the whole plot planned out, which is kind of what we would have done in the first place."

That "in the first place" comment may be a nod to the fact that The Green Hornet is no longer the mid-summer tentpole release it started out as, and is something closer to a gamble as the studio plans to release it in January and in post-converted 3D. But what Goldberg says makes sense, even if none of the people in charge of the money actually believe they'll ever make a second film. If Goldberg and Rogen hadn't had a plan for a potential franchise way back in the beginning, they probably would never have gotten the job. Will we ever actually see this second planned Green Hornet? You're welcome to hold out hope all you want, but I'm staying skeptical for the moment.

Anna Kendrick is on a friggin' roll right now after her sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated performance in Up in the Air, so it was only a matter of time before she snagged some sweet new job to capitalize on her newfound success. Turns out that job will be with fellow bright young thing James McAvoy and, uh, The Wackness director Jonathan Levine?

There's a strange collection of names now attached to the project formerly known as I'm With Cancer, in which McAvoy plays a twenty-something diagnosed with cancer and learning how to live with it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who also wrote Superbad and Pineapple Express together) will be producing the film, in which Kendrick will play a young psychologist trying to help McAvoy's character while learning how to do her job herself.

The role sounds perfect for Kendrick, who's got the "confused young go-getter" thing perfected. I'm both surprised and delighted to see Levine on board, since The Wackness was a small pleasure but largely underappreciated, and his actual debut feature All The Boys Love Mandy Lane hasn't managed to get a release at all. Even weirder, Levine is replacing indie auteur Nicole Holofcener, who seems like a truly bizarre choice. Given that he's such an un-obvious choice, it seems likely he had a particularly great vision for the film, or at the very least offered a lot of potential for very cheap. It's hard to know what to make of this movie, but it seems likely it'll be worth seeing regardless.

Remember when you couldn’t go to a movie without seeing Ben Stiller, and then, just as you were beginning to accept Blue Steel as part of your everyday life, Will Ferrell came in and had a part in every movie ever? Now it seems that it’s Seth Rogen’s turn. The star of Knocked Up is appearing in five different films in 2008, including the upcoming Pineapple Express and the new Kevin Smith movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, both of which I am super-excited about. Even better, Rogen is coming to the small screen—sort of.

While we may not be seeing him on TV any time soon, Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, are currently writing an episode of The Simpsons. According to an interview at Collider.com, Rogen got the gig they way only an A-lister could: he asked for it. According to Rogen, he and Goldberg “…called The Simpsons and asked if we could write an episode. Evan actually met James L Brooks at a party and James said he really liked Superbad, so we thought there’s our in. Maybe we could ask to write a Simpsons.” He makes it sound so easy.

While he’s not allowed to talk about the specific plot, Rogen did go a little bit into the process of pitching the story, saying, “We went in and pitched them like 5 ideas and surprisingly they hadn’t done some of them. And…yeah…we all sort of settled on one during the meting and then we went out and wrote an outline and they gave us notes on it. Then we re-wrote the outline.”

The episode probably won’t be seen anytime soon, as they’re not even due to turn in the script for a few more weeks. After that, the episode goes into animation, which takes several months. Rogen and Goldberg are obviously talented writers (they penned the scripts for both Superbad and Pineapple Express), but their humor tends to skew more towards the adult side of the spectrum. They would have fit in perfectly with The Simpsons Movie, but I’m curious to see how they’ll tone themselves down for primetime.