Third "American Pie" in the Oven
by Marcus Errico
Aug 8, 2002, 2:25 PM PT
Hide the pastries--Jason Biggs is coming back for more Pie.
Universal Pictures has rounded up key ingredients Biggs (the sexually beleaguered Jim), Seann William Scott (party-happy Stifler), Alyson Hannigan (band camp bad girl Michelle) and Eugene Levy (Jim's dad) for a third helping of the hit teen sex comedy franchise.
The behind-the-scenes team also remains largely intact. American Pie guys Chris and Paul Weitz (who directed the original and produced the sequel) are also returning, as are writer Adam Herz and producers Warren Zide, Craig Perry and Chris Moore. How High helmer Jesse Dylan is reportedly in negotiations to direct, taking over from Pie 2's James B. Rogers.
But apparently there wasn't enough dough (ugh, was that one too many puns in the oven?) to go around to bring back other key members of the young ensemble like Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas. The entire cast--largely unknown before American Pie--was under contract for only the 1999 original and last year's American Pie 2. According to trade reports, all parties wanted a bigger slice (we'll stop, promise) for a third go-round.
Universal hasn't officially ruled out appearances by the unsigned Pie peeps, but the Hollywood Reporter, quoting "sources with knowledge of the script," says the majority of their characters aren't in the story. There's also no word on whether Jennifer Coolidge will be back as Stifler's mom.
On the plus side, London's Sun newspaper says the Weitzes have recruited their About a Boy star Hugh Grant to appear in a cameo capacity. Universal hasn't confirmed it, however.
This time out, Jim and his pals, now through with college, will purportedly be thrust into the real world. (The original Pie introduced us to the characters as they finished high school and had one last party before heading off to college. The sequel, set during their summer vacation, reunited the gang at a lake house.)
No word on what will replace apple pie and superglue as the hapless Jim's humiliating sex toy of choice.
With Universal getting fat off the previous two Pies, there's little surprise a second sequel would be in the works. American Pie grossed nearly $103 million in North America and about $236 million worldwide. American Pie 2 did even better, with more than $145 million domestically and nearly $288 million worldwide.
Shooting on American Pie 3 is slated to begin in January for an August 2003 release.
bron: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,...,00.html?tnews