The 2012 movie Seth Rogen knew was doomed: “This is not making us laugh”
Seth Rogen said he realised while filming *The Guilt Trip* that the comedy was not making the cast laugh, despite his belief in the script. The 2012 road-trip film’s disappointing reception underscored his difficulty working within the milder, PG-13 style he had tried to make funny.
Rogen had risen to prominence with *Superbad* and *Knocked Up*, which helped drive demand for similar comedies. *The Guilt Trip*, co-starring Barbra Streisand, barely recouped its production costs, and Streisand received a Golden Raspberry nomination. Rogen returned to commercial and critical success the following year with *This Is the End*, which made almost $100 million in profit.
In short
- Rogen sensed *The Guilt Trip* was not funny during filming.
- The 2012 comedy barely recouped its production costs.
- *This Is the End* brought Rogen back to success in 2013.
Explained simply
Seth Rogen became known for adult comedies such as Superbad and Knocked Up, whose success helped create demand for more films in a similar vein. The Guilt Trip paired him with Barbra Streisand in a road-trip comedy aimed at a milder, wider audience.
The film struggled to earn back its production costs, and its reception contrasted with Rogen’s earlier hits. Its performance helps explain the challenge of adapting his comic style to a less adult format; the next year, This Is the End returned him to commercial and critical success.
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