It might have been too long ago for some to remember, but in 2014 Seth Rogen and his creative partner Evan Goldberg almost caused an international incident with their comedy The Interview.
Looking back now it was hardly surprising given that the movie centers on two journalists, played by Jame Franco and Rogen, who manage to secure an interview with the brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (played by the always excellent Randal Park), but are then recruited by the CIA to use the opportunity to assassinate Kim. Spoiler alert: they do wind up assassinating him in the most bombastic way imaginable.
North Korea’s initial response to the production was strong enough that it reportedly led to Sony re-editing the movie and pushing the release date from October 10th to December 25th, but then there was a cyberattack against US officials by a group tied to the North Korean government, who went on to threaten terrorist attacks against any theaters that screened the feature. Sony, out of fear, capitulated and opted for online rental for the movie instead, followed by a limited theatrical release, a move even criticized by then-US president Barack Obama, who called the move a “mistake,” saying, “We cannot have a society where some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States.”
This was not the first time a member of the Kim Dynasty had been portrayed in a not-so-flattering manner in a major Hollywood movie either. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker released a parody of the classic show Thunderbirds, puppets and all, titled Team America: World Police, portraying Kim Jong Il, the late father of Kim Jong Un, as the villain. It was no secret that Kim Jong Il was a voracious cinephile who, oddly enough, had a particular love for Hollywood cinema despite his public rejection of Western culture, and while he never commented publicly on his hilariously unflattering portrayal in Team America, you can be sure he knew about it and was by no means a fan. As much was clear when the North Korean regime asked the Czech government to ban the movie, a request they of course rejected.
As one can imagine, the whole experience was traumatic for the creative duo behind The Interview, with Rogen admitting that it made him and Goldberg “a little gun-shy for a little while.” In the wake of the controversy, the pair receded from feature film directorial work, though they still co-wrote and produced the movies Sausage Party (2016), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023).
They did, however, lean into directing episodes for TV shows such as Preacher (which they co-created), Future Man, Black Monday, and, most recently, the acclaimed satirical comedy The Studio (another co-creation), which saw the pair winning Emmy Awards for their writing, directing, as well as the coveted Outstanding Comedy Series, while Rogen also took home the statue for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Then, last week, in the midst of the promoting the newly released and acclaimed comedy The Invite, in which Rogen reportedly delivers one of the best performances of his career, the multi-faceted artist admitted that he and Goldberg “do talk about maybe, hopefully, directing a film next year,” but he has yet to elaborate beyond this, so it is hard to say if they even have a project in mind yet.
If there is one thing for certain, though, it is James Franco will not be involved in any capacity, who Rogen cut ties with following the troubling accusations in 2018 of sexual misconduct made by students of an acting class he led, even settling with his victims for a reported $2.2 million. Rogen made his feelings clear in an interview earlier in the month in an interview with The New York Times, explaining to the interviewer that they have not spoken in a long time and that nothing has changed since he last publicly spoke on the matter, unequivocally stating, “I haven’t worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to.”