A Seth Rogen Hit Was Originally Meant For Brad Pitt
Well that's a different casting.
This article is more than 2 years old
This is the End has become one of the most iconic comedy films of the 2010s. The story finds Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel playing themselves as they and their celeb pals attempt to survive the apocalypse. It’s hard to imagine the film being anything other than what fans saw on-screen, but Slash Film reports that one version of the movie would’ve starred Seth Rogen opposite Brad Pitt.
Slash Film recalls an interview in which This is the End stars Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson and writer/director Evan Goldberg were speaking with the Daily Californian. Before they decided to star Rogen alongside Baruchel and friends, the trios mentioned how Brad Pitt’s name was circulating; “we always had this other idea to have actors play themselves, which started off as ‘Seth Rogen and Busta Rhymes vs. the Ant-Man.’ That was our first idea, and we were like ‘Ah, maybe Busta Rhymes isn’t the right guy. Maybe like, (Rogen) and Brad Pitt together playing themselves.’ And then we were like, ‘Ah, let’s just work with our friends. We like working with our friends.'”
As awesome as Brad Pitt and Seth Rogen attempting to navigate the apocalypse as their real-life selves sounds, many would find it difficult to argue that the end product of This is the End is anything but comedy gold. For those who haven’t seen it, the film begins with Jay Baruchel landing in Hollywood to visit estranged lifelong friend Seth Rogen. The pair go to a Hollywood party at James Franco’s house. Amongst the guests are the likes of Michael Cera, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna. The party is interrupted by what appears to be a catastrophic earthquake. The devastation claims the lives of many at the party, leaving comedy stalwarts Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill and Danny McBride alive. Soon the stranded quintet realises that they are living through a biblical rapture. It’s chaotic and crude, yet even finds time to be genuinely touching, teaching viewers the values of friendship. The trailer can be seen below.
Not only does This is the End thoroughly exaggerate the personalities of its superstar main characters, but it is also bristling with superstar cameos. Emma Watson and Channing Tatum feature in standout scenes and there is even a moment spared for the pop band the Backstreet Boys. It is hard to see how Brad Pitt would have fit into all of this, especially as the film is a hard r-rated gross-out comedy, which would have been unfamiliar territory for the Oscar-winning star. This is the End shows Seth Rogen and his co-stars at their brilliant best. The film marked a directorial debut for Rogen and his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
This is the End proved a massive success for Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and friends. The film grossed approximately $126 million worldwide on a $32 million budget. As well as this, the film has a healthy critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes of 83%. Everyone involved in the film has continued to make successful contributions to film and tv ever since, with Seth Rogen firmly among those having gone on to achieve success since This is the End was released in 2013. Seth Rogen would go on to star in the likes of Bad Neighbors, the controversial The Interview and the infamous Sausage Party. He has also branched out into drama with roles in Steve Jobs and the recent tv mini-series Pam & Tommy.
