In many movies, a console like the PlayStation 2 appears. In one case, however, Sony was adamantly against a character using it. The actor Jonah Hill was affected.
Which movie is it about? We are talking about Superbad from 2007. It is a comedy that deals with two outsiders, Seth and Evan. The two attend high school, would like to have a girlfriend, and generally have to deal with the typical problems of teenagers.
The screenplay was partly written by Seth Rogen, whose characters often make lewd remarks. This was also the reason why Sony intervened in the film’s production and prohibited a character from playing with a PlayStation.
“That is very offensive”
What was the problem? Seth Rogen told Rotten Tomatoes the story he found the funniest from the set. It was about Seth’s character supposed to play PlayStation 2 in a scene together with Evan. Seth was played by Jonah Hill, who also appeared in other well-known films like The Wolf of Wall Street.
When the script was presented to Sony, the company was strictly opposed. The reason: Seth would be a reprehensible character that could cast a bad light on the PlayStation. He drinks, curses, and makes crude remarks.
Sony said: “Jonah cannot touch a PlayStation.” They said: “We cannot let him interact with our products because he is too despicable a character.” I thought to myself: “He is based on me! That is very offensive.”
Seth Rogen via Rotten Tomatoes
Today, Seth Rogen can laugh about this. In the end, he and the film crew complied with Sony’s demands and changed the scene. Therefore, it is not the crude Seth at the console, but only Evan.
Meanwhile, Seth tries on some shirts from the closet to prepare for an upcoming party. He does not use the PlayStation during the scene. Even more: He doesn’t even touch it. Any proximity would have been too much for Sony.
In the end, it is a winking story from the filming. Companies like Sony are very concerned about maintaining their good image. A reprehensible character like Seth can become a problem in their eyes.
What do you think about it? Would you think less of Sony if Seth had played in the scene? Feel free to write it in the comments. Rogen is himself a big nerd: Seth Rogen wanted to be as cool as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: “We spent about five hours cleaning up”
