Jonah Hill reveals that he has an idea for a sequel to his 2007 coming-of-age comedy Superbad that would revisit the characters as 80-year-old men. Hill starred alongside Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, and Emma Stone. The film was a financial and critical success during its release, with critics praising Hill and Cera's chemistry.
In the 2007 comedy, Hill, Cera, and Mintz-Plasse play Seth, Evan, and Fogell, three friends and high school seniors who attempt to attend a party hosted by Seth's crush Jules (Stone). After unwittingly promising to supply alcohol for the evening, the three friends try to use Fogell's fake ID to purchase the drinks, with a convenience store robbery throwing the plan into disarray. Seth and Evan try to steal the alcohol from another party, while Fogell befriends two cops (Rogen and Hader), who believe him to be McLovin as his Fake ID states, in one of the film's most beloved and referenced jokes. Despite the film's success upon release, a sequel following the characters after high school was never attempted, though that hasn't stopped Hill from coming up with ideas.
Speaking to W magazine to discuss his career after his recent role in Adam McKay's satirical comedy Don't Look Up, Hill revealed that he has constructed his own idea for a sequel to the 2007 comedy. Hill's idea would hypothetically be produced when he and the main cast were 80, with the plot picking up with Seth, Evan, and Fogell in a retirement home. Suggesting that the plot would pick up after their respective spouses pass away, Hill reiterated that would be the only way he could ever see himself returning for a Superbad sequel. Check out Hill's full pitch below.
"I haven't pitched this to anybody. What I want to do is when we're like 80, do a Superbad 2. Like, “old-folks-home Superbad.” Our spouses die, and we're single again. That's what I want Superbad 2 to be, and that's the only way I would ever make it."
Hill isn't the only cast member to comment on a Superbad sequel, as Rogen explained his view on the subject in 2020. When reflecting on his career and whether he would revisit any of his films for a potential sequel, Rogen firmly stated that Superbad is a film that he absolutely wouldn't want to create a follow-up for. Stating his pride in the film and the work he did, Rogen revealed that he would not want to detract from the film or create something that couldn't live up to the original film, being afraid to tamper with one of the few films of his that he considered a success. Rogen's mindset is one shared by the rest of the cast, with Mintz-Plasse later suggesting a gender-swapped sequel would be the only way he could see a continuation being produced.
Though the suggestion sounds much like the fictional sequels pitched during the credits of Hill's other comedy hit, 22 Jump Street, a sequel following an 80-year-old Seth, Evan, and Fogell isn't too unlike other recent comedy sequels. As seen with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, many fans are open to seeing comedy legends reunite on-screen, though Afterlife also featured a story that grappled with legacies that opened it up to a new generation. While Hill's Superbad sequel may offer the chance to revisit beloved characters, the lack of a hook for a new audience and the cast's hesitancy makes McLovin's possible return unlikely.
Source: W Magazine