Sony Considered Pineapple Express 2 At One Point, But Ultimately Shelved It

Ever since Sony’s systems first succumbed to the recent and exploitative cyberattack, we’re learned more and more about a hoard of film concepts that have been brewing in the backdrop of the studio. From a Men in Black–Jump Street crossover to a shared universe between Zorro and Django Unchained, the notions ranged from the promising to the outright ludicrous.

But one other project that been simmering in development at one point was Pineapple Express 2, which had the support of Judd Apatow and Amy Pascal for a brief period before Sony decided against greenlighting the sequel.

In an email exchange, Apatow spoke optimistically about the potential of a follow-up, stating:

“I am so glad we are so close to getting Pineapple Express 2figured out,” he wrote. “I am very excited to make this thing real. We are very inspired creatively on this one. We have hilarious ideas.” He added that the sequel would make more money than the first one, explaining: “Marijuana is so popular now!”

Star Seth Rogen echoed this sentiment and sent a similar email to Pascal: “Got some stuff we are pretty psyched about. It would be a blast.”

However, according to the report, this deal soon grounded to a halt after Apatow went one over and asked for an additional $5 million in budget. That’s because the original film proved to be somewhat of a surprise hit when it released back in 2008, pulling in an impressive $101 million on a budget of $25 million — hence the director’s confidence that the sequel would do even better. Alas, it looks to be that the studio and Apatow won’t push ahead on a sequel to Franco and Rogen’s comedy due to this financial red tape.

The duo have currently had their fair share of the spotlight of late following the debacle surrounding Korean satire film The Interview, although it looks to be that Sony has pulled a u-turn to allow the controversial movie to be distributed to select theaters on Christmas Day as planned.

As for Pineapple Express 2, however, a sequel to Franco and Rogen’s stoner comedy doesn’t look as likely to see the light of day. But tell us, are you disappointed that Sony hit the brakes on a follow-up? Let us know below.