Some box office norms have returned in full in the post-COVID era, with Avatar’s sequel, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Fast X and more delivering the blockbuster vibes that audiences thrive on. But one sub-genre that’s been largely missing from the big screen is the R-rated comedy, which was a dependable part of the theatrical experience ‘90s and Aughts, thanks in part to films such as 1999’s sex-infused smash American Pie. Nearly 25 years after that film’s $235 million global success, and ten years after American Reunion similarly brought in over $234 million, the world isn’t exactly clamoring desperately for that particular brand of gross-hot comedy anymore. But star Seann William Scott let it slip that some conversations have started to see if and how the franchise should go forward.
Next for Scott is the upcoming action-thriller sequel The Wrath of Becky, which follows 2020’s cult hit Becky, perhaps most easily remembered as "the movie where Kevin James plays a neo-Nazi." When speaking with ComicBook.com about playing the villain in the darkly comedic flick, he reflected on the possibility for the East Great Falls gang to return in some way with a new American... project. And while this isn’t a promise of anything being carved into stone, Scott did speak to the idea that the gears are starting to spin behind the scenes, saying:
I don't know, I just love the character so much. We have to have a great idea, and especially these days, it has to be awesome. You know, comedy is tough, and they have always been tough, but you know, comedies have really changed. But I think, honestly, we have been talking about an idea. I had one and I still have one that we've literally just recently started talking about.
Now, I can't lie and say I'm automatically hyper-excited about the concept of another sequel from this particular film series, at least not in the same way that I'd be jazzed up about certain others. American Reunion was probably better than it should have been, with due credit going to Cobra Kai co-creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg for writing and directing. But one would think there are only so many ways to keep bringing the original film’s ensemble cast together for pervalicious hilarity, which dulls my interest in seeing a similar formula repeated where everyone's having new babies at the same time, or their kids are going to high school, or whatever the thematic approach would be.
But I admittedly allowed my interests to expand a bit when Seann William Scott teased an idea being discussed for bringing Stifler back to audiences. In his words:
It would be so much fun to see, I think; fun, but also really fascinating to see a guy like Stifler in his mid-forties today trying to figure things out. A guy who hasn't really changed that much, but the world has changed, you know, what would his life be like?
Scott followed that in saying he's wondered if there's a fun ending that could be crafted, presumably not just for Stifler but the entire group. Although the way he worded things, it sounds like the idea could potentially fall under the umbrella of American Pie's non-sequel spinoffs, including Band Camp and 2020's Girls' Rules, only focusing on Stifler and thus easily outshining those offshoots.
And while it's not exactly the most novel idea in the world, I would admittedly be beyond interested to see the American Pie franchise tackle Stifler living in a post-#MeToo society, and having him learn how to be a decent and accepting human being. Which probably wouldn't work out that way, because Hollywood, but I think that's the one character in the whole shebang who could legitimately anchor such an approach.
O, to have Jennifer Coolidge return to play Stifler's mom to help her son get good at life. The actress has revealed in the past that the role had quite the positive effect on her sex life, so I'm not sure what the takeaway would be from this sequel idea, though I can't imagine it would hurt her sex life at all.
Of course, Seann William Scott made sure to express that he has no idea if anything will actually come out of this idea and the discussions being had, so it's nothing for American Pie fanatics to get too excited about just yet. But if that kind of idea can spin a possible detractor like myself, then Stifler's return could very well bring R-rated comedies back to the top of the box office charts.
