Sony Banned Jonah Hill from Using a PlayStation in ‘Superbad’—”it’s too vile a character”

Seth Rogen recently shared an interesting story about the making of Superbad during a conversation at the SXSW premiere of his new Apple TV+ series The Studio. Rogen revealed that a particular studio note from Sony made him take things personally and even left him a bit insulted.

In the 2007 hit comedy Superbad, Jonah Hill plays a character named Seth, who is based on Rogen’s own teenage experiences. However, during the production process, Sony had an objection to how Hill’s character interacted with a PlayStation 2 in one of the scenes. According to Rogen, the studio felt that Hill’s character was so “reprehensible” that they didn’t want him touching their PlayStation products.

Rogen shared the humorous side of the situation, saying that Sony told the filmmakers, “They were like, ‘We can’t have him interact with our products as a character, because it’s too vile a character..” Rogen laughed and said, “It’s based on me, that’s very insulting.”

@rottentomatoes "Jonah can't touch a Playstation. We can't have him interact with our products." #TheStudio's Seth Rogen shares his favorite note from working with Sony on #Superbad. #SXSW #sethrogen #playstation #comedy #movie #movietok #filmtok #redcarpet #interview ♬ original sound – Rotten Tomatoes

At the time, Rogen and his longtime writing and producing partner Evan Goldberg had written the script for Superbad based on their own teenage experiences. The film tells the story of two high school friends, Seth and Evan, trying to make the most of their final days together before graduation.

Despite the studio’s objection, the filmmakers ended up compromising. While Jonah Hill’s character, Seth, doesn’t interact with Sony’s PlayStation products, Michael Cera’s character, Evan, is seen playing the video game The Getaway: Black Monday on a PlayStation 2 in an early scene.

This slight adjustment allowed the filmmakers to keep the scene intact while avoiding any product-related controversy.

Rogen and Goldberg’s script for Superbad was inspired by their teenage years in the ’90s. Rogen co-wrote the movie and played a version of himself in the role of Seth, marking his first leading film role. The movie became a massive success, known for its sharp humor and memorable performances from Hill, Cera, and other stars.

In a special retrospective for the 15th anniversary of Superbad, producer Judd Apatow revealed that he had always hoped the film would get a sequel. He envisioned a college-themed follow-up where Jonah Hill’s character, Seth, flunks out of college and visits his best friend Evan, played by Michael Cera. However, Hill had his own thoughts about a potential sequel. “Jonah said, ‘Oh, it’ll be funny to do it when we’re 70 or 80,’” Apatow said, suggesting that the actors were not interested in a sequel at that time.

It’s clear that Superbad holds a special place in many fans’ hearts, but the idea of revisiting the characters in college didn’t seem to appeal to the cast. While fans may still dream of a sequel, it appears that the iconic film remains a beloved classic on its own, with its humor and memorable moments living on even after all these years.

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