Making a hit comedy movie requires great writing with hilarious acting, and when these two elements are firing on all cylinders, a comedy project has the chance to catch on with fans. Sometimes, these movies hit at the box office, and other times, they become cult classics that have a loyal following.
Pineapple Express was a huge hit for Seth Rogen during the 2000s, and the film remains as loved as ever. Despite never getting a sequel, this film has a huge legacy, and one of the coolest things about this movie is the fact that it was inspired by a Brad Pitt character from the 90s.
Let's take a look at Pineapple Express and its inspiration.
'Pineapple Express' Was A Comedy Hit
2008's Pineapple Express is a hilarious comedy film that starred Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Danny McBride. This film was the perfect mix of action and comedy, and it is one of the most popular comedy movies from the 2000s.
One of the best aspects of the entire film is the performance turned in by James Franco, and he was exceptionally believable as Saul. Franco has done a little bit of everything, and Judd Apatow talked about the actor's ability to develop a character.
"I remember the first table read – it was just astounding how comfortable [Franco] was with the comedy. That’s the thing about him, you tell him, ‘OK, you’re going to play a pot dealer,’ and he comes back with a three-dimensional character you totally believe. He take [his work] very seriously, even when it’s comedy," said Apatow.
Since its release, this film has only seemed to increase in popularity. It's a classic stoner movie, sure, but overall, it is one of the most memorable movies from its era. The writing is sharp, the acting is great, and there is one quotable line after the next all throughout. All of these elements went into making the film a success.
It has been 13 years since Pineapple Express hit theaters, and fans are still wondering if a sequel movie will ever see the light of day.
A Sequel Has Been Teased
To date, a sequel to Pineapple Express has never seen the light of day, though there have been talks of it happening.
In the film This Is the End, there is a sequence that shows what a Pineapple Express sequel would look like, and it made for a funny scene in the movie. During a Reddit AMA, Rogen and Evan Goldberg revealed that this was the intended plot of the sequel.
"We talk about it all the time. The story we have in This is the End is the actual story we talk about doing. We have some original (we hope) ideas that we want to do before doing sequels, and comedy sequels seem to be the hardest, but it's definitely something that we keep coming back to. And the enthusiasm for it is hard to ignore," they wrote.
While there has yet to be a sequel, the first film remains popular. Interestingly, a Brad Pitt performance was the basis of the movie.
It Was Loosley Based On Floyd From 'True Romance'
So, how did the idea of Pineapple Express come together? Judd Apatow, the film's producer and co-writer, heavily relied on Brad Pitt's performance from True Romance.
According to Judd Apatow, "The whole idea of the movie comes from Brad Pitt’s stoner in True Romance. I thought it would be funny to make a movie in which you follow that character out of his apartment and watch him get chased by bad guys.”
For the unfamiliar, True Romance is easily one of the most underrated movies from the 1990s, and the star-studded film featured a hilarious performance by Brad Pitt. Most people will point to Gary Oldman's time as Drexl being the standout performance in the film, but many will also sing the praises of Pitt's Floyd.
Having seen True Romance and the performance given by Pitt, it is easy to see where the inspiration came from.
As far as including the action, Apatow said, "I thought it would be great to do one of those pot movies, but with the action of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie."
All in all, Pineapple Express was an amazing balance of action and comedy, and the success of the movie and its subsequent fandom has made it one of the most popular comedies to be released during the 2000s.
