ⓘ Details

Movie TitleSuperbad

Release DateAugust 17, 2007

TaglineCome and get some.

Runtime113 minutes / 1 hour 53 minutes

DirectorGreg Mottola

Screenplay Written BySeth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

Based OnOriginal screenplay loosely inspired by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s own high-school experiences

Is It a Remake?No. Superbad is an original coming-of-age teen comedy.

BudgetApproximately $17.5–20 million, depending on source

Box OfficeApprox. $121.5 million domestic / approx. $169.9–170.8 million worldwide, depending on source

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👥 Main Cast

Jonah HillSeth

Michael CeraEvan

Christopher Mintz-PlasseFogell / McLovin

Bill HaderOfficer Slater

Seth RogenOfficer Michaels

Martha MacIsaacBecca

Emma StoneJules

Aviva BaumannNicola

Joe Lo TruglioFrancis the Driver

Kevin CorriganMark

Dave FrancoGreg the Soccer Player

Marcella Lentz-PopeGaby

Laura MaranoYoung Becca

Casey MargolisYoung Seth

Stacy EdwardsEvan’s Mom

David KrumholtzBenji Austin

Martin StarrJames Masselin

Carla GalloPeriod Blood Girl

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Austin Film Critics Association Winner — Breakthrough Artist: Michael Cera

⭐ Chicago Film Critics Association Winner — Most Promising Performer: Michael Cera

⭐ Young Hollywood Awards Winner — Exciting New Face: Emma Stone

⭐ Canadian Comedy Awards Winner — Best Writing: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

⭐ Canadian Comedy Awards Winner — Best Male Performance: Michael Cera

⭐ MTV Movie Award Nominee — Best Movie

⭐ MTV Movie Award Nominee — Best Comedic Performance: Jonah Hill

⭐ MTV Movie Award Nominee — Breakthrough Performance: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse

⭐ Teen Choice Award Nominee — Choice Summer Movie: Comedy/Musical

⭐ No Academy Award, Golden Globe, or BAFTA nominations were verified for the film.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

Seth and Evan are two codependent high school seniors facing the end of their friendship as graduation and college approach. Hoping to finally impress their crushes, they agree to bring alcohol to a party hosted by Jules, but their plan falls apart when their friend Fogell gets a fake ID under the legendary single name “McLovin.” As Seth and Evan chase booze across town and McLovin gets adopted by two wildly irresponsible cops, the night becomes less about partying and more about friendship, fear, growing up, and trying not to completely humiliate yourself before adulthood even starts.

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❝ Key Quotes

“I am McLovin.” — Fogell

“You know how many foods are shaped like dicks? The best kinds.” — Seth

“Why the hell would it be between that or Muhammad?” — Seth

“I assume you all have guns and crack.” — Officer Slater

“Prepare to be McLovin.” — Fogell

“I love you.” — Seth / Evan

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💡 Trivia

Director

Superbad was directed by Greg Mottola.
The screenplay was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Rogen and Goldberg began developing versions of the story when they were teenagers, drawing loosely from their own high-school friendship.
The main characters Seth and Evan share first names with the screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Greg Mottola balanced the film’s raunchy party-comedy surface with a surprisingly sincere story about male friendship and separation anxiety.

Cast / Casting

Jonah Hill stars as Seth, the loud, insecure, chaos-fueled half of the central friendship.
Michael Cera plays Evan, the softer and more hesitant half of the duo.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse made his feature-film debut as Fogell / McLovin.
Emma Stone made her feature-film debut as Jules.
Seth Rogen was originally closer to playing the Seth-type role, but he ended up playing Officer Michaels instead.
Bill Hader and Seth Rogen play the two cops who give McLovin the most irresponsible ride-along night possible.

Soundtrack / Score

The score was composed by Lyle Workman.
The soundtrack leans heavily into funk, soul, and 1970s-inspired grooves rather than a typical teen-comedy pop soundtrack.
The film features songs by artists including Curtis Mayfield, The Bar-Kays, The Roots, The Guess Who, and Rick James.
The music gives the movie a loose, sweaty, after-hours party vibe that fits the one-night structure.
Bootsy Collins appears on the soundtrack, helping reinforce the film’s funk-heavy identity.

Location

The film was shot primarily in the Los Angeles area.
IMDb lists Fox Hills Mall in Culver City as a filming location for the mall scene.
IMDb also lists 17200 Rayen Street in Northridge as Evan’s house.
Location guides identify El Segundo High School as the exterior used for the school.
Giggster identifies Overland Mini Mart in Culver City among the recognizable filming locations.
The Los Angeles-area locations help the movie feel like a very specific but still universal suburban high-school night gone completely off the rails.

Behind-The-Scenes

Superbad was produced by Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson.
Russ Alsobrook served as cinematographer, and William Kerr edited the film.
The film was released by Sony Pictures Releasing / Columbia Pictures.
Box Office Mojo lists the film’s domestic opening weekend at $33,052,411.
The Numbers lists the production budget at $17.5 million, while Box Office Mojo lists $20 million.
The film grossed roughly $170 million worldwide, making it a major comedy hit against its relatively modest budget.

Nostalgia

Superbad became one of the defining teen comedies of the 2000s.
The movie turned “McLovin” into instant pop-culture shorthand for fake-ID confidence gone horribly, beautifully wrong.
Its mix of outrageous profanity, friendship anxiety, party panic, and awkward sincerity helped it age better than many raunch comedies of its era.
The film arrived during the peak Judd Apatow comedy wave, alongside projects connected to The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Freaks and Geeks alumni.
For a lot of viewers, it captures that last-night-before-everything-changes feeling of senior year, even if most people’s last big high-school night involved fewer cops and fewer detergent-bottle disasters.

Easter Eggs

The names Seth and Evan directly nod to writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Fogell’s fake ID listing him as “McLovin” became the film’s most famous visual gag.
The repeated drawings in Seth’s childhood confession turn one dumb joke into a full-blown character backstory.
The film’s one-night structure follows a classic teen-comedy tradition: a simple party goal that turns into a chaotic coming-of-age odyssey.
Rogen and Goldberg’s personal high-school friendship gives the movie’s final stretch more emotional weight than its nonstop filth would suggest.

Misc.

Superbad is rated R.
Box Office Mojo classifies the film as comedy, with genre keywords including bawdy comedy, high school, school, and slacker.
Rotten Tomatoes describes the film as balancing vulgarity and sincerity while capturing the awkwardness of high-school friendship.
Metacritic lists the film as an R-rated comedy with a 1 hour 53 minute runtime.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the episode as Episode 198, with Don rating it 3.75, Ken rating it 3.75, Jon rating it 2.50, and an overall rating of 3.33.

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