Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with a career that’s spanned decades. He has a rich understanding of film history, and he has seen many different movies himself over the years. What some may not know, is he has dipped into Seth Rogen’s filmography, who stars in Spielberg’s latest venture, The Fabelmans. However, Spielberg has never been stoned, so his interpretation of some of Rogen’s films is a little off the mark.
Spielberg and Rogen recently made an appearance at the Palm Springs International Film Festival to promote The Fabelmans where Variety interviewed them about their collaboration. Spielberg was asked about his familiarity with his collaborator’s work, and which one of Rogen’s stoner movies was his favorite. The director's answer was priceless, especially as it pertained to Superbad.
Well having never been stoned, I don’t see them as stoner movies. I see them as movies about a police officer giving solid, sound advice, to a young impressionable person!
Rogen laughed while the director gave his analysis of the high school comedy. You can check out the full interaction below.
What's Steven Spielberg's favorite Seth Rogen stoner movie? "Having never been stoned, I don't see them as stoner movies!" https://t.co/x1DAcgp5NH pic.twitter.com/pSXiZIsvnkJanuary 6, 2023
While Superbad is certainly a stoner movie, the master director’s heart is definitely in the right place. Honestly, the image of Steven Spielberg checking out Superbad in his free time is almost as funny as the movie itself. Maybe that was the film that convinced Spielberg to hire Rogen for The Fabelmans. Spielberg has also worked with Bill Hader, who played Rogen’s police officer partner in that film, so maybe he’s just a huge Superbad fan.
While Rogen and Spielberg probably have very different recreational hobbies, they are a great fit in The Fabelmans which is a semi-autobiographical film based on Spielberg’s childhood. The movie tells the story of a young boy named Sammy, and his ambition to be a movie maker while navigating his complicated family dynamic. Rogen plays Benny, the best friend of Sammy’s dad who alters the family unit in a significant way. The film also stars Paul Dano and Michelle Williams who masterfully portray Sammy’s parents. The film is a delight, and it is receiving great reviews from critics.
This is a dramatic turn for Seth Rogen, who is mostly known for his comedic work. He seems to want to continue down this route as he has just wrapped filming Dumb Money about the Wall Street chaos when GameStop’s stock skyrocketed. He will once again act alongside Paul Dano, and the film is helmed by I,Tonya director Craig Gillespie. Maybe Rogen is moving away from the comedy world, but I hope he makes more raunchy, hilarious stoner movies in the future. I mean we know Spielberg will watch and enjoy them, even while he's sober.
You can check out The Fabelmans now in theaters, or it is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. Also, Superbad films can revisit the modern comedy classic by streaming the movie with an Amazon Prime subscription. For more information about other exciting films coming to theaters and streaming in the near future, make sure to check out our 2023 movie release schedule.
