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Pineapple Express
Interview with Seth Rogen
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Pedigree: The dirty minds behind Superbad and Knocked Up plus, intriguingly, indie wunderkind director David Gordon Green. Estimated budget: $40 million. Predicted box office: $120 million (US gross), $170 million (worldwide).
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The latest comedy to roll off the Seth Rogen/Judd Apatow conveyor belt, Pineapple Express is the equivalent of an action movie with True Romance's perpetually stoned Floyd (Brad Pitt) as the lead. The two main characters - Dale and Saul, played by Rogen and James Franco - are respectively a pothead and a dealer who find themselves on the run after witnessing a cop commit murder. Explosions, shoot-outs and car chases ensue. Will the toasted twosome live to spark another doobie?
It's a great concept - Rogen describes it as "a marijuana-themed buddy comedy in the tone of, say, 48 Hours or Midnight Run" - and promises a winning mix-up of action conventions with the team's unique brand of blue humour.
The footage we've seen so far, with Rogen and Franco chilling on a sofa with a bag of Pineapple Express (a rare type of weed given its potent qualities by an airflow from Hawaii, apparently), is full of the random zingers we're used to from the likes of Superbad and Knocked Up. "I just want to shove it up my nose and have that smell all day," enthuses Rogen. "Smell it, enjoy, it's like God's vagina," drawls Franco.
Chemistry between the leads is assured - Franco and Rogen were winning as buddies in TV comedy Freaks And Geeks, and are friends in real life. And it wouldn't be an Apatow production without appearances from his repertory of supporting players. Look out for cameos from Ken Jeong (Knocked Up's angry doctor), Bill Hader (Superbad's cowboy cop) and Danny McBride (soon to star in Drillbit Taylor).
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