Why Seth Rogen Says No One Would Make ‘Superbad’
Seth Rogen rose to fame thanks to raucous and raunchy comedies like Knocked Up and Funny People. An experienced comedy writer and filmmaker, he proved his skills at crafting scripts by the time he was in his twenties. Still, when it came to getting one of his passion projects off the ground, the star consistently came up against obstacles. In a recent oral history of the cult classic hit Superbad, Rogen detailed why filmmakers shied away from making the film.
What did Seth Rogen say about the struggle to get ‘Superbad’ made?
By 2007, Rogen was an established presence in the comedy world, even if he hadn’t yet achieved superstar status. He made his big breakthrough that year when he starred as the lead in the hit movie Knocked Up. All while he was making Knocked Up, Rogen was trying to get his own movie made — Superbad, a teen comedy that featured lots of raunchy dialogue and hilariously awkward situations.
However, Rogen struggled to find a studio that would greenlight the film. As he told Vanity Fair in 2022, the film was very different than traditional teen comedies. “R-rated comedies are so commonplace now. So commonplace that it’s on television,” Rogen said. “At the time, the idea of a big theatrical comedy that was very R-rated—especially one about high school kids—was really unheard of. Even though American Pie had come out. I think it’s because ours was just so much different than American Pie.”
‘Superbad’ became a comedy classic
While Rogen continued to develop the script for Superbad, producer Judd Apatow kept pitching the movie to any studio he could. Finally, after Apatow’s star rose thanks to production credits for Anchorman and Talladega Nights, Superbad had a chance. “After Talladega Nights, Amy Pascal was like, “I’ll make every comedy that comes from these guys.” So while we were making Knocked Up, Superbad got greenlit and we began the casting process,” Rogen told Vanity Fair.
With actors like Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in the lead, Superbad received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it was released to theaters. Critics loved the emotional depth and hilarious dialogue, and fans flocked to see the film. Ultimately, according to IMDb, Superbad was a financial success as well, grossing over $170 million on a production budget of around $17.5 million. Today, it is considered to be one of the best comedies of all time.
Why won’t Seth Rogen work on a ‘Superbad’ sequel?
Fans of all ages love Superbad. While rumors of a possible sequel have persisted for years, Rogen himself claims he doesn’t think it needs a follow-up. “Honestly, I don’t think it requires improvement or anything to be built upon it,” he told LADBible in 2020. “I’m unbelievably proud of it, it really holds up,” he noted. The writer added, “People still watch it, high school kids come up to me telling me that they watched it for the first time and how they loved it.”
Rogen also said he doesn’t want to run the risk of ruining the legacy of the first film. “I’m so terrified of subtracting from it in any way with a bad sequel or spin-off that I’d never do it. I have so few actual good accomplishments that I’m horrified to f*ck with the ones I have,” Rogen said.
