Seth Rogen and Kevin Hart May Star in New Buddy Cop Comedy

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edited April 2014 in Lights, Camera, Action!
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Last year’s This Is the End was one of the biggest comedy hits of the summer, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for co-writer/co-director/star Seth Rogen, who had seen his box office draw and leading man status dwindle in the previous few years.

However, Rogen appears to be back in the spotlight. His upcoming film, Neighbors, is due to hit theaters in a couple of weeks and could prove to be another winner. The film – directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) – features Rogen as a family man facing off against a fraternity house that moves in next door and pits the funnyman against Zac Efron. Now, thanks to Stoller, fans have an idea about another onscreen pairing that could be in the offing.

While promoting Neighbors, Stoller told /Film that his next directorial effort will likely be a buddy cop comedy starring Rogen and Kevin Hart. The project was reportedly picked up by Paramount a few years ago and was written by Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street), who actually produced three of Stoller’s previous films. Here’s what Stoller had to say about the proposed film:

“The next thing I want to direct is this thing for Seth [Rogen] and Kevin Hart. It’s basically about the first white cop black cop pairing in history. That takes place in the late ’40s, and they have to bust jazz musicians for weed. It’s kind of a Baz Luhrman world mixed with Tarantino !!. It’s a lot of things.”

Kevin Hart Ice Cube in Ride Along Seth Rogen and Kevin Hart May Star in New Buddy Cop Comedy

Both Rogen and Hart are currently hot commodities, with the latter coming off of the massive financial success of Ride Along. So pairing the two of them onscreen seems like a no-brainer, especially considering Hart’s memorable cameo appearance in This Is the End. However, placing the two actors in a version of the 1940s that stylistically plays as a blend of Luhrman’s The Great Gatsby and something like Tarantino’s Django Unchained could be a smart way to take the cliche-ridden buddy cop sub-genre in a fresh direction.

Of course, that all depends on how the film is approached. If the film’s setting and narrative setup are explored effectively and used to serve the comedy throughout, audiences could be in for a treat. However, if the creative team don’t fully commit to it and merely use it as a gimmick on which to hang yet another buddy cop film, then Rogen and Hart’s collaboration will be nothing but a missed opportunity. Time will tell how this one ends up, but at least the premise has our attention.

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