Seth Rogen stated that his 2007 film Superbad would not be produced under current Hollywood practices. The comments came during an interview with The New York Times.
Rogen described the original production process for Superbad. The studio purchased the script, set a $20 million budget, scheduled shooting for that year and set an August release date the following year.
He noted that studios now require full casting and directorial commitments before approving projects. Risk aversion leads decision makers to prioritize recognizable names over the best fit for roles, according to Rogen.
Rogen cited former Sony executive Amy Pascal as an example of past willingness to greenlight films based on creative merit. He added that recent successes like the horror films Obsession and Backrooms align with advice he has given for years.
