With his 2008 slate nicely stocked with cheeba and T&A (The Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) gruffy, young superstar Seth Rogen looks to keep the debauchery rollin’ into ‘09. He’s set to star in the mall cop comedy Observe and Report, to be written and directed by Jody Hill, the latest to join Judd Apatow’s smoked out dugout and hot off the indie-com The Fist Foot Way. Apparently Apatow isn’t producing the film however.
Rogen will play Ronnie Barnhardt, an ego-maniacal head of mall security who tangos with with the local cops (you know, the real po-po). If you’re suddenly taking more of an interest in the oft-ignored, chubby rent-a-cops at your local superplex, that’s because actor Kevin James also has an ‘09 flick on deck called Mall Cop. Variety reports that Observe and Report will basically be awesomer because it will not deviate from Rogen’s grandma-scaring brand of hard comedy. Producer Donald De Line adds that the film will, “Definitely go to the edge.”
The pitch might as well be sprinkled with nuts like a cheeseball, sure, but the talent involved is quite ace. Malls haven’t been properly terrorized in a comedy in ages, so there’s definitely potential in watching Rogen wallop some Hot Topic punks with clever expletives and a wimpy baton.
Discuss: Anyone have a good mall cop story? Are you diggin’ this project? If Rogen had starred in Semi-Pro in place of Will Ferrell, would it have still bricked?
March 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Really, though most entertaining thing that has ever happened to me involving mall cops was simply seeing my local Indianapolis security force on Segways.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Wow… wrote “though” instead of “the”.
Nice.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
i guess rogens a fan of mall rats…i think everyone in the world saw semi pro on the computer…its a bad time at the movies for a cheesy basketball comedy…i watched via computer for free so it was different for me but i still liked it, not alot of movies these days are ” goto the theater for ” …semi pro isnt a transformers or a independence day…its ron burgundy playing basketball…ill see step brothers because it has a more epicish feel to it, more effort maybe,,,i dont think rogen would of pulled it off…but refreshing the cop we were all starved for more of from super bad and adding kevin james opposite you the movie is gonna kick ass…pineapple express is in my top 5 for this year…dark knight, iron man, pineapple express, step brothers, and tropic thunder…hulk gets honorable mention but i think norton is gonna own the hulk…alright i forgot what the question was………seriously…HAhhAhhAAHhhA
March 5th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Jody Hill is a guy for those of you who don’t know.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I like that he’s been showing up in more movies, although something about “Knocked Up” that just didn’t do it for me.
But God bless Judd Apatow for making movies. He’s great.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:21 am
As for Rogen starring in Semi-Pro, um, no. He and Will Ferrell aren’t even comparable when it comes to their comedic styles. They’re too different.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:45 am
@ makeme
Rogen and Ferrell’s comedy styles are not very similar, I agree. However, the hypothetical above with Rogen starring in Semi-Pro rather than Ferrell arrives from Rogen’s success with raunchy R-rated comedies thus far.
If Ferrell’s upcoming Step Brothers flops (and after Semi-Pro and Walk Hard, it’s not out of the question, though it looks funnier than both of those), Rogen will nearly have R-rated comedy all to himself, especially with mega building buzz for Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Pineapple Express.
Also, would you find the trailer/concept for Step Brothers funnier if Rogen was starring instead? It’s worth pondering.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:16 am
the best mall cop story ever can be found by googling “mall ninja” and going to the first link.
seriously. its hilarious.