Seth Rogen reveals why 'Pineapple Express 2' didn't happen

Thanks to its cult following, Seth Rogen’s 2008 stoner comedy Pineapple Express was all in line for a sequel at one time.

However, it was not to be, despite making a healthy enough $102.4 million (£78.5 million) at the box office for its modest $26 million (£20 million) budget.

Now Rogen has revealed that the issues around a second movie were highlighted in the Sony hacking scandal in 2017.

Hackers published reams of private emails from stars, directors, producers and many others working at the studio.

Speaking to Howard Stern, Rogen said: “We tried to make one and thanks to the Sony hack you can actually find the email when Sony decided to kill the movie and not make it.

“It was something we were very open to several years ago, but Sony was not that interested in it.”

Rogen went on: “I think we probably wanted too much money. Studios, they don’t like giving away money. Weird thing.”

Referring back to the emails (as reported in The Daily Beast in 2017), it transpires that director Judd Apatow, who produced the first movie, was all set with then studio chair Amy Pascal.

“I am so glad we are so close to getting Pineapple Express 2 figured out. I am very excited to make this thing real. We are very inspired creatively on this one. We have hilarious ideas. It is gonna be awesome,” he wrote.

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“We learned so much on how to make these comedy sequels when we did Anchorman 2. And we rocked that marketing campaign. Foreign is doing awesome too. I am sure PE2 will do even better! Marijuana is so popular now! It’s on every corner!”

The first movie starred Rogen alongside James Franco, Danny McBride, Gary Cole, Craig Robinson, Rosie Perez and Ken Jeong.

However, despite the enthusiasm, Apatow and the studio came to an impasse over budgets, with Apatow demanding $50 million, and the studio standing firm at $45 million.

The matter of the $5 million meant that the movie did not get made.