If you were holding out for a sequel to the 2007 coming-of-age comedy, SUPERBAD, it may be time to put those hopes to rest. Seth Rogen, who was a co-writer on the first film and featured in a supporting role, says that SUPERBAD is one of the projects he would never touch or revisit.
"I think of all the movies we've ever made, Superbad is the one I'd 100 percent probably never touch. Honestly, I don't think it requires improvement or anything to be built upon it. I'm unbelievably proud of it, it really holds up – 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. It's worked its way into being viewed as one of the better high school movies that's out there."
I'd have to agree with Rogen on this one. SUPERBAD is a near-perfect comedy that manages to elicit a lot of laughs while also possessing a bit of a heart. Comedic sequels are also very hard to get right and rarely capture the magic of the original film so that fact that Rogen knows to leave well enough alone despite how successful the first film was, shows that he doesn't want to risk tarnishing the first film's impact.
SUPERBAD, directed by Greg Mottola and produced by Judd Apatow, stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as Seth and Evan, two teenagers about to graduate high school. Before graduating, the boys want to go out on a high, with the loveably coarse pair hoping to party and lose their virginity. The film was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and its script began development when they were 13 years old and is loosely based on their own experiences. While the initial plan was to have Rogen play Seth, due to the unyielding passage of time, Rogen ended up playing the irresponsible Officer Michaels, opposite Bill Hader as Officer Slater. The movie became a huge critical and financial success, grossing $170.8 million worldwide on a slim $20 million budget. It's clear that Rogen is aware of the status the film has achieved over the years and he doesn't want to take anything away from that:
"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*** with the ones I have [laughs]."
Stick to your guns Seth Rogen. SUPERBAD is fine standing on its own and doesn't need a sequel or spin-off to expand on any of its characters or stories. Not all successful movies need sequels, even if the potential profit seems tempting to partake in. Do YOU think SUPERBAD needs a sequel or is the film doing just fine as a standalone experience?