Seth Rogen Reflects On That Time He Almost Started A War With North Korea

Lots of filmmakers push boundaries and raise eyebrows, but not every Hollywood production earns America threats of nuclear warfare. That honor almost exclusively belongs to Seth Rogen's "The Interview," the 2014 movie that poked fun at the famously mercurial North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The government of North Korea was so opposed to the release of "The Interview" that it ordered a cyberattack on Sony Pictures' servers, an FBI investigation concluded (per The New York Times). 

In the wake of terror threats, "The Interview" was pulled from theaters and released on digital platforms instead, an irregular choice for 2014. The political backlash had real consequences for the movie's release, unlike most other bad press, which rarely prevents films from hitting theaters.

"We're some of the few people who actually made a thing that was viewed as so offensive to the person it was targeting that they threatened a war over it, essentially," Rogen said in the February 2023 issue of Total Film Magazine, hitting stands on February 2. "And as a result, the studio did not release the movie in the way they were supposed to, you know?"

The extreme reactions to "The Interview" gave Rogen a unique perspective on the wave of "cancel culture" to come.

The Interview Reset Rogen's Cancel Culture Barometer

A tirade of Twitter hashtags was nothing compared to what Rogen endured when "The Interview" came out.

"We experienced an actual controversy with our film," the comedian explained. "In a way, it was a good resetting of my barometer, because I have been with people since then where they feel as though they're in some controversy [...] And I'm like, 'This is gossip. This is a bad headline.'" Since "The Interview," Rogen has a different standard of qualifications for problematic media. "If the president isn't being asked about it in his news conference, it's not that big a deal," the "Knocked Up" star declared. 

In fact, he isn't even sure that cancel culture really exists. "Louis CK is still doing stand-up comedy," Rogen pointed out. "Who has been canceled?" Protesting cancel culture is just another gimmick, Rogen insisted. "To me, it's like it's a comedic persona that I think some comedians, who don't have a better comedic persona, have adopted," the actor said. "Which is: 'I am the guy who's willing to say anything and isn't afraid of cancel culture.' And what that is? I truly could not tell you."

This is not to say that Rogen has totally ignored the changing tides of Hollywood. His sequel to the hit film "Neighbors" centered on women's empowerment. Rogen's other work — particularly "The Interview" — also had an unintentional impact on feminism in Hollywood. Jennifer Lawrence found out that she was being paid less than her male co-stars when Sony was hacked, per Insider. "If it wasn't for us, no one would know," Rogen said jokingly. "We made that movie in hopes of empowering women. It finally paid off."

It's No Coincidence That Rogen Hasn't Directed Since 2014

"The Interview" might not have launched any missiles, but it did lead Rogen and his co-directing partner Evan Goldberg to shy away from directing for a while.

"It was something that for sure felt like we burned our hands on the stove," Rogen admitted to The New York Times. "I don't think it's a coincidence that we haven't directed a film since." In the end, though, it wasn't the political backlash that hurt Rogen the most — it was the film's critical reception.

"What's painful is the joy people seemed to take in deriding it," the "Freaks and Geeks" alum lamented. "Major publications who took the time to write articles that were, like, 'And by the way, this movie sucks. Yes, it's the center of a major controversy, but don't let it be lost on you that it's also terrible.'"

Goldberg and Rogen have since taken on producing roles in projects like the 2019 film "Good Boys." Rogen has also starred in films like "An American Pickle" and television series like "Pam & Tommy." They are teaming up again to co-write and direct an action film titled "Escape," which Rogen described as being "heavily inspired by Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan." With those influences in mind, the upcoming film is sure to be packed to the brim with fast-paced fun and classic physical comedy.

A controversial film may have temporarily curtailed this duo's creative juices, but they finally have another project in the works. Who knows, maybe this one will piss off another world leader — let's hope it's somebody a bit more even-tempered.

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