In the wild and raunchy comedy Neighbors, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne played suburban parents who had to tap back into their hard-partying days to take down a fraternity filled with noisy idiots. The movie was a smash success, so a sequel seemed inevitable. The first full trailer for Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising just dropped, and eased the fears of fans who might have thought director Nicholas Stoller was going to shake up the winning formula too drastically. If you loved Neighbors, you’re likely going to love this:
The script is flipped ever so slightly in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, as the title implies. The fraternity isn’t jeopardizing Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly’s (Rose Byrne) way of living. This time out, it’s a fledgling sorority led by Chloe Grace Moretz, who’s unhappy that Selena Gomez’s sorority doesn’t support partying, drinking or drug use. In the opening scene, we see Moretz smoking weed at a sorority meeting – giving new meaning to the nickname Hit-Girl. And in opposition to the straight-laced, uptight college atmosphere spawned by the first Neighbors, Moretz founds Kappa Nu… until Mac and Kelly attempt to burn it down to the ground.
They’re not doing it alone, though. In order to figure out how college-aged girls think, Mac and Kelly lean on their former antagonist, Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron). This is right out of the "sequels" playbook, where former rivals become friends against a new opponent. Also, Efron looks like this, which explains why casting agents keep hiring him:
Neighbors 2 looks to capitalize on the success of the original, keeping the chemistry of the incredibly funny cast intact, while also inviting some new faces to the party. Chloe Moretz hasn’t been given enough opportunities to show just how funny she can be, and I want to see her going toe-to-toe with Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. The rest of the supporting cast includes wall-to-wall funny people, from Ike Barinholtz (in the terrifying clown makeup) and Lisa Kudrow to Dave Franco and Billy Eichner. The trailer already has given us a memorable catchphrase, as it’s my goal to use "I’m on painkillers, bitch" in conversation at some point today.
Neighbors 2 will be directed by Nicholas Stoller. It reaches theaters on May 20, where it will compete against The Angry Birds Movie and The Nice Guys. What did you think of the first trailer?
