After an original trilogy that seemingly concluded the series properly, and a handful of direct to video sequels managing to find an audience, a fourth American Reunion is coming together.
Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott and Eugene Levy have all completed deals for the film. While Scott has recently gone into treatment for an undisclosed “personal problem,” one imagines he should be ready for the film’s production (considering it is the franchise that made him a star).
Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari and Jennifer Coolidge are in negotiations to reprise their roles from the original series.
Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote/directed Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay have written the script and will direct the film.
Two things stick out: one, as Latino Review pointed out, Alyson Hannigan and Shannon Elizabeth weren’t mentioned as coming back. This is quite shocking if they aren’t.
Considering the two were fairly critical parts of the sequels (Elizabeth in American Pie 2 and Hannigan in both) it would be rather shocking if they didn’t coming back. One could understand if Hannigan didn’t, mainly because of production on How I Met Your Mother, but Elizabeth would seem a no-brainer. It’s not like she’s an A-lister above this sort of film.
The other missing name is Eddie Kaye Thomas, a big part of the original trilogy, and one would think if Klein was coming back (after not being written into or mentioned in the third film) that Thomas would be a no-brainer. One imagines he’d almost have to be a part of it.
But it does beg the question: is this film really necessary? It seems like a cash-garb, especially in light of how well the direct to video sequels performed. The originals were successful but there wasn’t much story to tell in the first film, much less spread out over three, so it’s almost overkill.
What do you think? Is this a good idea, revisiting material that concluded already? Or is the time right to see what happened after the American Wedding?
