This Is The End is a huge feat, as directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were able to stretch out a $30 million budget to cover the costs of an all-star cast, dozens of cameos, and some of the most outrageous special effects ever seen. It’s no surprise that being one of the spoof movies with the best cameos, with all that star power in one room, there are a ton of ridiculous behind the scenes facts.
Whether it's strange demands from comedians, outrageous early concepts, or scenes too controversial that they had to be cut, This Is The End sounds just as exciting off-screen as it is on-screen.
James Franco’s Paintings
As most of the movie takes place in James Franco’s newly built house, the whole place is furnished with typically absurd pieces of art. Well, according to Business Insider, all of the paintings that can be seen dotted around the mansion were actually painted by Franco himself. Most of the paintings are references to his previous movies with his co-stars, including the TV show Freaks And Geeks and Pineapple Express.
The Real-Life Idea For Pineapple Express 2
In a Reddit AMA, Rogen and Goldberg spoke about the fake sequel to Pineapple Express that appears in This Is The End. Being one of Seth Rogen’s best comedies, fans have wanted a sequel for a long time, and, though plans for a sequel broke down over budget negotiations, the filmmakers have said that the basic premise that was put forward in the clip in This Is The End is what they had planned for the sequel—and that includes Woody Harrelson playing the President of the United States.
James Franco’s “House”
In that same AMA, the two answered a much-pondered question that audiences have over whether or not it’s actually James Franco’s house that the movie is shot in.
It may come as a surprise to many that the exterior shots of the house are actually computer-generated, and the inside of the house was built in a warehouse that was storing coffee beans at the time. Rogen hilariously added that he doesn’t think Franco has a house.
Michael Cera And Rihanna’s Altercation
In what is one of the best cameos of the movie, Michael Cera features as himself, but with characteristics completely unlike himself, as he’s parading around doing drugs and generally acting like a jerk.
In one scene, he pretends to slap Rihanna’s butt, but, while shooting, it didn’t look right, so Cera reportedly asked Rihanna if he could slap her butt for real. The singer approved just as long as she could slap him across the face for real, too.
Channing Tatum’s Cameo
Close to the end of the movie, Channing Tatum appears as Danny McBride’s sex slave as he jumps out of a truck on all fours attached to a leash, and it’s one of the best celebrity cameos of all time. When he was approached to play the role, it was a simple as an email from Seth Rogen going into great, vulgar detail about what the role entails. Rogen got a response from Tatum three hours later accepting the role.
Michael Cera’s Only Demand
As Michael Cera’s character is arguably one of the most despicable, as he has no social skills and invades everybody’s personal space, it might have been surprising that the actor, known for his innocent and nervous characters, agreed to take on the character.
But, in an interview with GQ, the actor said that he didn’t have an issue with any of the things he was asked to do and that he only had one very strange demand, that he could wear that bright yellow windbreaker.
Emma Watson’s Role Was Originally Meant For Mila Kunis
Being based in Hollywood where are a ton of A-listers play themselves at a party, there are a lot of actors who turned down a part in the movie. But, one of the most interesting is that Emma Watson’s role in the movie, which is significantly more than just a cameo, was reportedly meant for Mila Kunis.
As not one, but three of her co-stars from Forgetting Sarah Marshall feature in the movie, it would have been fun to see Kunis reunite with them, but it wasn’t possible due to scheduling conflicts.
85% Of The Movie Is Ad-Libbed
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Evan Goldberg mentioned that the movie is 85% improvised, and it shows, as, with all the talent in the one room, they are all bouncing off each other and trying to one-up each others’ jokes.
Whether the script was only 15 pages long or what was improvised was better than what was written, This Is The End has some amazing lines. Goldberg’s favorite improvised moment is when Franco says, “It’s like Neapolitan ice cream” in reference to the father, the son, and the holy ghost.
The Early Busta Rhymes Concept
Before Rogen and Goldberg finally settled on making the movie post-apocalyptic, which resulted in one of the best post-apocalyptic movies ever made, the movie took on many different shapes and forms. One of the early ideas was to apparently have Busta Rhymes star alongside Seth Rogen and, believe it or not, face of against Ant-Man. When he says Ant-Man, it’s unclear if he literally means the superhero or Paul Rudd. Either way, it sounds fascinating.
There Was A Planned Post Credits Scene
In an interview with the director, Goldberg explained that there was originally a plan for a post-credits scene in hell. After Franco, McBride, and Jonah have all gotten comfortable in pandemonium, the scene would have featured them smoking marijuana together, but with an extra special guest: Hitler. However, whether it was due to having cold feet or because there was just not enough room in the budget, the post-credit was unfortunately never shot.