We live in an era of filmmaking where studios are constantly seeking new franchises to build. And even if a film does moderately well at the box office, a sequel is often greenlit and developed, no matter if it’s a terrible idea or not. But sometimes, a film is released and finds an audience, but the filmmakers associated just can’t seem to get a sequel going, as is apparently the case with the 2008 film, “Pineapple Express.”
In a new interview with LAD Bible, Judd Apatow, who helped develop and produce “Pineapple Express, said that he’s been trying to get a sequel to his stoner buddy comedy made for years, but there hasn’t been much movement on it.
“I fought so hard to make a sequel to ‘Pineapple Express’ for many years,” said Apatow. “I was a big proponent of it and I never could get it to fall together. I have an amazing idea for it and it deserves to happen, but I don’t know if it will.”
The original film followed the story of two men (one of which is a drug dealer) that find themselves on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing a murder. But the plot is a mere starting point, as the film is primarily a vehicle to laugh at the weed-induced hijinks of the two stars, James Franco and Seth Rogen.
Speaking about where the sequel might have gone, the filmmaker said, “There was so much happening with the legalization of marijuana in California and we thought there was a funny story about how they would deal with it – the pot dealer community having to handle the fact that suddenly it was legal.”
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Sadly, if you’re a fan of the stoner comedy, even though Apatow is excited about the idea of a sequel, it doesn’t appear that “Pineapple Express 2” is on the horizon, as he admits that his “phone isn’t ringing.”
The original “Pineapple Express” was released in 2008 and earned more than $100 million worldwide. And since then, the actors associated with the film, primarily Seth Rogen and James Franco, have only seen their stars rise to greater heights, as the film also has become a bit of a stoner classic.
You can watch the trailer for the film below: