INTERVIEW: AMERICAN PIE 4 Directors Defend Sequels
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Tuesday, 03 January 2012 21:54
- Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2012 21:54
- Written by Cassandra Craven
John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg created the Harold & Kumar franchise including the recent A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, the third movie in the series. No strangers to sequels, the director/ writing team passed on directing the latest return of the two stoners in 3D to write and direct the American Pie sequel. The two grew up on sequels and embrace the art of sequels. The duo recently talked about the franchise, revealing the trick to making a good sequel.
Hurwitz and Schlossberg remember growing up in an era of sequels and recall that not only were there a lot of really good sequels from their childhoods, but sequels are part of what they look forward to when seeing a movie.
"Whenever there was a new Back to the Future [movie] coming out we were excited about it! Or the new Star Wars [movie]... We were glad someone was making a new one, because we loved the original so much!"Hurwitz and Schlossberg became friends in high school and sold their first script while seniors in college. Growing up, Hayden reveals he saw the first Rocky movie after watching Rocky 3 and 4. And while many may have thought the Rocky series was getting "tired," he was thinking, "This is awesome!" Hayden goes on to say that the key to enjoying a sequel is to take yourself out of the whole franchise and look at it as one movie, "almost with no memory [of the other films]."
Schlossberg revealed that the trick to making a good sequel is to, "make a movie that in and of itself is good movie, [however] people will always be critical of a movie that is a sequel to something beloved." Hurwitz and Schlossberg believe that there is a misconception today that Hollywood is just "doing all these sequels and remakes," but the duo debunk the theory.
"When you look at History, they have been doing it right from the beginning. Birth of a Nation had a sequel. Remakes were happening in the 1930s of silent movies. There have been franchises since there have been movies."Regarding American Reunion, the twosome said they can relate to the characters in American Reunion, because not only are they "huge fans" of American Pie, but they are at the age where they can "connect with the high school reunion aspect." American Reunion reunites the entire original cast of American Pie, as they return to East Great Falls for their high school reunion. It is the eighth installment in the American Pie film series, and the fourth for the original series including: American Pie, American Pie 2, and American Wedding.
American Reunion is in movie theaters April 6, 2012.