Summary
- An improvised scene in Neighbors featuring an incorrect impersonation of Al Pacino genuinely annoyed Seth Rogen.
- The genuine reaction was used in the final cut of the film, showcasing Rogen's natural comedic talent.
- Neighbors was a critical and financial success, grossing $150.2 million domestically against an $18 million budget.
Sometimes, in comedy, the most genuine reactions tend to be the best responses and that is the very case for a moment that took place in the 2014 comedy, Neighbors. The film starred Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and Dave Franco, among others, and it turns out that an improvised scene in the movie got a real reaction out of Rogen, who was genuinely annoyed by their incorrect use of an impersonation of a specific actor.
During a chat with Vanity Fair, Efron revealed an improvised moment during a scene when a college fraternity is throwing a Robert De Niro party did get under Rogen's skin. The frat starts chanting "whoo-ah" which is something that is associated with De Niro's Godfather II and Heat co-star, Al Pacino. Since the performers playing the fraternity members were impersonating the wrong actor, Rogen actually got annoyed, and it was used in the final cut of the film.
"Seth [Rogen] and Rose [Byrne] doing what they do so well, which was just naturally reacting to this ridiculousness outside the window. The "whoo-ah, whoo-ah" like that's not even De Niro, that's Pacino. And I don't remember who did it first, but someone did it and we all just started copying it. [Laughs] And Seth's reaction to it was very genuine. It was like, "That's not even, you guys, that's not even an impression." And we just kept doing it to make him upset 'cause it was making him mad and it stayed in. But that's one of the most fun movies I've ever filmed. So grateful for that and that experience."
The Pairing of Zac Efron and Seth Rogen Made Neighbors a Huge Hit
Directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien, Neighbors follows a couple played by Rogen and Byrne who get into a feud with a fraternity led by Efron's fratboy president Teddy Sanders after they move in next door. The film also stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Ike Barinholtz, Jerrod Carmichael, Lisa Kudrow and Hannibal Buress.
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When the movie was released, it helped solidify a new stage of Efron's career after he earned solid critical praise for his comedic performance in the film, as opposed to his other projects up to that point. The pairing of Rogen and Efron as polar opposites made for a hilarious comedic union and turned Neighbors into a critical and financial success. The movie carries a 73% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it ultimately grossed $150.2 million domestically and $270.7 million worldwide on an $18 million budget.
The film spawned a sequel, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, which put up decent reviews but was released less favorably with a 64% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also less financially successful, grossing $55.4 million domestically and $108.8 million globally on a $35 million budget. The sequel featured new actresses like Selena Gomez, Beanie Feldstein, and Chloë Grace Moretz.
Neighbors can currently be streamed on Peacock.