I knew it was in development but didn't think it would actually happening, and definitely not so fast.

Comedy sequels are a mixed bag but I hope this one works, esp since it's Seth' first sequel. The plot sounds a bit too similar imo, I wish they had gone for something slightly more different but I like that Seth and Zac are on the same team now.

The one thing I don't like tbh is the fact that it is Zac's 3rd comedy. And not only his 3rd comedy but it might be his 3rd in 2016 which feels a bit too much but let's hope it works out. And moreover, he really does several non-comedy movies after.

On the plus side... he will be very busy filming this year which I think is good for him.

I think he's good at comedy but I also think he could be just as good in drama/scifi/adventure/etc if someone gives him a good project. He just couldn't "proof" it to people yet.

My concern is just typecasting which is never good, no matter which one.

Re-reading my comment... it sounds much more negative than I intended. I'm a little cautious because comedy sequels don't have the best track record and it's getting too much comedy for me but the project per se is great. Everyone involved is great and it's nice to have something many people are excited over already. Sp yeah!

Actually, I don't think you were too cautious. I flinched when I first read the story. Comedy sequels are extremely difficult. No sequel will match the success of Neighbors. The new story is too derivative. They should have sent them all on vacation together or something - anything different that offers new avenues for comedy.

I also agree on the three-comedies concern. What are the chances that all three of these will be successful? Zac could not only get locked into a comedy mold but could "prove" that he's not really bankable even in that category. Scripts, release dates, there are a dozen ways to screw up any movie, and especially a comedy.

I guess he couldn't say no to his pal Seth Rogen, but I think the time has come for him to start turning down new projects that are comedies, as he did with new song-and-dance projects five years ago. Bite the bullet, take the pain, and wait for a good (non-romance) drama.

Edited at 2015-02-06 09:17 pm (UTC)

I can totally understand why he would do this one. I'm sure it's much more than just another comedy for him. He can work again with Seth & Co (which he really seems to love) and through that gain more respect and learn from them. It's also good for building a better relationship with the studio and even if it doesn't do that well, it will still be less risky than an original movie. Not to talk about his bank account (and with these 3 comedies hopefully his agent has enough $$$ motivation to get him a good non-comedy).

If it had been any other comedy, I would say it was a bad decision but this was the smart thing to do. In hindsight, he should have rather passed on Wedding Dates imo.

That said, if he follows it up with non-comedies (more than 1 please), I think he'll be fine.

"he should have rather passed on Wedding Dates imo"

Agreed, he probably couldn't turn down a Neighbors sequel, based on his relationship with Rogen, the ardent desires of Universal, etc. But he did turn down that dance movie with his beloved director Kenny Ortega and his producers from Hairspray and another studio that was counting on him - to say nothing of the $5 million he was offered. So he's got the guts. Maybe he was just too young and wild then, and has matured and become a "go along to get along" kind of guy.

I think the situation between Footloose and this is very different and not really comparable. He might be doing a lot of comedy recently for my taste but he's coming from a very different starting point.

I only cited Footloose as proof that he had the confidence and goals to turn down a movie that didn't suit his career plan and that disappointed a lot of people with whom he had good relations. Of course, his career direction was more sensitive then. Footloose would have been only his third non-HSM movie* and his fifth song-and-dance outing. With his current filmography he doesn't need to be so careful.

The Neighbors sequel will earn money, it's just unlikely to do as spectacularly as the original. My growing concern is that it is too much of a sequel - the same characters in the same situation. Hopefully, they can flog the writers into coming up with some fresh bits and avoid total predictability.

On a more depressing note, two of this year's Oscar nominees are actors who were locked into comedy films for many years and finally got cast in really unexpected dramatic roles - Steve Carell and Michael Keaton. Let's all pray that Zac doesn't have to wait until he's 50 to find a break-out dramatic role.

* Ha ha. Of course, his choice of a dramatic role was Charlie St. Cloud, which made no waves at all - so we need to be cautious about wishing him to pick a drama for his next project. He needs a break-out drama; a ho-hum drama could just confirm for the industry that he's a comedy actor, not a drama guy.

Edited at 2015-02-09 06:53 pm (UTC)

I'm cautiously excited and you bet I'll be there on release day with bells on. I just hope he doesn't get burnt out doing like 4 movies in a year (if you count we are Your Friends & Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates shoots this year). But I can't remember a time when he's been this busy with actual confirmed projects and I like it.

I hope he takes a vacation once he starts the next project.
Regarding Neighbors sequel, as long as Zac gets $$$$ up front, I am not worrying about it.

"as long as Zac gets $$$$ up front"

Ha! The best deal he ever made was when, in order to get Neighbors produced on its very small budget, Zac and the other principles accepted less than their usual going rate and took back-end deals that would pay off if the movie made money. If Zac signed up for a 5 percent back-end reward, he probably got a check for around $10 million.

"I just hope he doesn't get burnt out doing like 4 movies in a year"

I'm less concerned. Remember, he filmed At Any Price and The Paperboy *simultaneously,* interrupting one to fly to the location of the other.

My concern would be that in a rush situation, he might just switch to autopilot and miss the chance to grow as an actor with a different director, cast, and script.

Actually, I don't worry about burnout with him. He's got a surfeit of Id (raw energy) and if he's not creating (new projects) he's destroying (usually himself).

He flourishes when he's busy and being pushed.

I can think of a simple way to get the sorority girls to simmer down. Throw Zac in there and shut the door. Except for the occasional scream/grunt/groan/indecent exclamation it'd be quiet.

Of course, Zac's penis would fall off.

Two points:

First, I agree, "He flourishes when he's busy and being pushed." He has admitted that he prefers directors who "push me a little."

Second, I wouldn't be concerned for the survival of his manly organ. Remember, there are lots of castings of those things, including his, from Neighbors I.

Hmmm, I wonder why one or more of those, perhaps purloined on set, hasn't shown up on e-Bay. Or as a charity auction item; there should be even more interest than in his old Alero.

If that pillowcase he signed got a winning bid of $13,000, I'd love to see what that "on-set memorabilia" would fetch. It could probably solve the world financial crisis;)

And Countess, great point about his overabundance of id (holy psychology classes, flashback).

It could definitely get the US out of debt. (-;

I haven't seen any movies where Zac's manly organ has been cast in a leading role, but I'm open to it. (Bad puns are my specialty)

Re: Neighbors Two:

Teddy needs to have l'affair amour avec un professor.

I got invited to a frat party Friday night by this charming, cute and incredibly witty frat boy who frequents my store for his preparatory party activities. As he cajoled me to go I was so tempted, but when I imaged myself there, I saw myself naked with a lampshade on my head. Worse yet, I saw myself naked with a lampshade on my head surrounded by barely clad frat boys on the front cover of the student newspaper. So, I told him that it would not be appropriate, as it would not abide with the faculty at the university (nor my self-concept).

Now if he'd asked me to hang out on the DL, it'd been a different answer. Frat boys are "slumming" for the educated, lol.

So, Teddy needs to have sex with a female prof so I can live vicariously though her. (-;