American Pie 2 (2001)

American Pie 2 was filmed in Southern California for 10 weeks. To the many fans of American Pie, a sequel might have seemed a no-brainer. Yet it was a decision the filmmakers approached with care and thoughtful planning. “We were all very proud of what we were able to do with American Pie, and we didn’t want to make a sequel if we couldn’t do justice to the original,” said producer Chris Moore. “So we made a pact of our own -- that if we were going to do American Pie 2, we needed to get it right.”

For the filmmakers, the biggest challenge in “getting it right” was bringing the original cast back together. “People have so much affection for that ensemble, and their chemistry is what gives the characters so much humanity,” Moore continued. “Without this group of actors, it’d be just ‘American Pie: The New Batch.’”

That ensemble features Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas and comedic legend Eugene Levy.

“Having the original cast gave us the freedom to do more than just tread water with the storyline,” said producer Craig Perry. “It would have been easy, but ultimately dull, to rehash the same gags in a different setting – ‘American Pie Goes Hawaiian.’ Adam wrote a script that not only captures the innocence and humanity of the original, but actually shows you how our characters have evolved since the last time we saw them.”

Biggs agreed. “It did feel daunting to come back and try to do it again,” he said, “but Adam Herz did an amazing job with this script. We’re all put in situations that are believable for our characters, so from the first day of rehearsal, we literally picked up right where we left off.”

Hannigan savored the reunion. “As soon as we were together, it felt as if no time had passed,” she said. “I love working with Jason. He’s a lot of fun and doesn’t care how foolish he looks. I don’t think either one of us does really. It’s wonderful to have that freedom.”

Herz and the filmmakers chose to keep American Pie 2 close to its roots. “Friendship is the essential ingredient of American Pie,” said Herz. “The humor comes from the friendships we all make growing up, the people you first fall in love with, the friends who’ve seen you make a complete fool of yourself, the ones you hope you’ll stay friends with forever.”

“The characters in American Pie 2 are the same people we knew in the original,” he continued, “except they’re a little older, and they’re starting to learn just how hard it can be to maintain friendships. Relationships take work. Love can be difficult. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it hurts, but ultimately it’s the most rewarding thing there is.”

As with any comic confection, creating a successful American Pie 2 required a capable chef. The clear consensus for director was Rogers, who developed close relationships with cast and crew as first assistant director on American Pie and made his directing debut on the Farrelly brothers’ Say It Isn’t So earlier this year.

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