It’s a comedy rite of passage to watch the American Pie franchise. The original 1999 film was a pop culture phenomenon, launching the careers of its talented stars and leading to an endless stream of sequels and spinoffs. The last film featuring the original cast, American Reunion, was released in 2012, but if Hollywood has proven anything, it’s that legacy sequels will always draw the fans back in.
Seann William Scott, the man responsible for American Pie’s most enduring (and quotable) character, Stifler, discussed the idea of making another film during an interview with ComicBook. He not only confirmed that he would be interested in doing it, but that he’s already come up with a pitch as to what the film would be about.
Scott’s pitch would involve Stifler, and the character’s struggle to adapt in a society that’s much more politically correct than it was two decades ago. “It would be so much fun to see, I think, fun, but also really fascinating to see a guy like Stifler in his mid-forties today trying to figure things out,” the actor opined. “A guy who hasn’t really changed that much, but the world has changed, you know, what would his life be like? … Is there a fun end to a story?”
It’s an intriguing pitch, given that Stifler is emblematic of the zany, oftentimes crass humor that made the original films so popular and would likely keep them from getting made today. Taking a more grounded approach to the character, and finding humor in how out of step he would be with young people today, would be a clever way to continue the American Pie brand while at the same time updating it for modern audiences.
This is not the first time that talk of a fifth mainline American Pie film has surfaced. In fall 2022, Universal Studios announced that a sequel was going into production, and Scott’s co-star Jason Biggs confirmed that he would be interested in reprising the role of Jim Levenstein. Little else has been said about the film, however, leading many fans to conclude that it won’t be happening.
Scott’s idea is independent of the Universal announcement, so perhaps it will help to get the wheels turning once again. The actor is enthusiastic, but also unsure of whether it will catch on enough to secure a green light. “We have to have a great idea, and especially these days, it has to be awesome,” he explained. “You know, comedy is tough, and they have always been tough, but you know, comedies have really changed… I don’t know if it’ll ever happen.”
The status of the fifth American Pie film is still up in the air, but it’s an encouraging sign to see actors like Scott and Biggs continue to be vocal about their passion for the franchise and their desire to return. This passion, coupled with the surprise success of co-stars like Jennifer Coolidge and Eugene Levy (who recently took home Emmy Awards for The White Lotus and Schitt’s Creek, respectively), and we may get to see the gang back together yet.