Neighbors is a new comedy film about a young married couple, played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, who are suffering from arrested development and who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn daughter. Seth Rogen gets fed up with the fraternity, whose leader is played by Zac Efron. After attempts to ask their neighbors to “keep it down,” the couple soon finds themselves at war with the fraternity.
Neighbors is written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien and is directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek). In addition to Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne, the film co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz and Lisa Kudrow.
While Neighbors was being filmed in L.A, Heavy.com had the opportunity to have a chat with stars Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and screenwriters Andrew J.Cohen and Brendan O’Brien about the new comedy. Neighbors is set for a release date of May 9, 2014.
Here are 10 facts you need to know about Neighbors.
1. Brendan O’ Brien & Andrew J. Cohen Always Wanted to Do a Movie About Townies in a College Town
In an interview with Heavy.com, Brendan O’ Brien, screenwriter of Neighbors, mentioned, “We always wanted to do a movie about townies. We had this idea about people that live in a college town who don’t go to the school, but do go to the parties. That was the original idea was and we were like, ‘That’s not quite a movie!’”
Influenced by a town surrounding Penn State where the residents hated the college kids, screenwriters Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien wanted to do a movie about college kids and their neighbors at odds with each other. Cohen explains, “…they pee in their flower beds, cut down stop signs, and cause traffic accidents…The idea of 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds being in a generational fight is ridiculous and so true.”
2. The Original Version of Neighbors Was Like a Crappy Old School
The original idea of Neighbors was about Seth Rogen and his buddies fighting against a fraternity, which made director Nicholas Stoller think of Neighbors as crappy Old School. Stoller wanted to figure out a way for the movie to make more sense and become much bigger.
Stoller explained when they finally figured out the right formula for the plot. “Let’s make it about Seth and his wife kind of taking on the fraternity. It was a much bigger idea and makes a lot more sense.”
3. Neighbors Is the First Movie Where Zac Efron & Seth Rogen Share the Screen
Zac Efron, best known for his lead role in Disney’s High School Musical, will be starring in his first comedy movie, Neighbors, with Seth Rogen. This will be the first time that Zac Efron and Seth Rogen will be sharing the big screen together. Director Nicholas Stoller thinks it’s really funny seeing Zac Efron and Seth Rogen together. “The movie is just going to work. It’s really funny seeing them share the screen. They don’t make sense on screen together and I think that’s the best kind of battle movies. It’s been great working with Zac, he’s awesome. He’s quite dreamy. Sometimes it’s hard to give him notes because I zone out in the middle of it and just stare at him.”
4. Neighbors Was Filmed in L.A. Because Nick Stoller’s Wife Was Super-Pregnant at the Time
Seth Rogen had to figure out a way to shoot Neighbors in L.A., because he found out Nick Stoller’s wife was pregnant. In an interview with Heavy.com, Seth Rogen said, “Nick’s wife is incredibly pregnant, and there was a moment where you have to shoot in L.A., or you have to replace Nick. And this moment was pretty close to the time we were supposed to make the movie, and so we said, ‘We’ll figure out a way to shoot in L.A.’ And so we had to eat the cost essentially. We had to absorb the cost of the rebate that we would have been getting from New Orleans, and find a way to cut three weeks out of our schedule. We found a way to make it work.”
5. Christopher Mintz-Plasse Wasn’t Originally in the Script, But Was Picked Because of the Size of His Penis
Screenwriter Brendan O’ Brien wrote about a funny character with an enormous penis and thought who would be the best fit for that role, and the first person that came to mind was Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin). “We wrote a character with an enormous penis and we thought, ‘Who is the funniest person to play that guy?’” O’Brien said. “We were originally thinking somebody big and goofy looking, but it would be better with a small guy…especially Chris, because he has so much confidence anyway, but like now he’s got a reason for it. Like I said, he’s packing heat!”