Movies

'An American Pickle', The Film Where Seth Rogen Is Pickled For 100 Years, Headed To HBO Max

an american pickle
By Chris Evangelista

Almost two years ago, word broke that Seth Rogen was set to star in a movie where he falls into a pickle vat and is brined for 100 years. The premise was so out-there that it seemed almost like a joke. But I assure you, American Pickle is real – and it's found a home. Since movie theaters are in limbo at the moment, Sony Pictures has sold the film to HBO, and HBO now plans to debut the film on its upcoming streaming service HBO Max.

Are you ready to get pickled? You better be, mother effers, because Seth Rogen's An American Pickle is coming to brine your brain. I first wrote about this movie back in 2018, and I've spent every single day since thinking about it. "Where's the Seth Rogen pickle movie?" I'd ask everyone, every day. Now I have an answer: it's headed to HBO Max.

The film, which was directed by Brandon Trost, is based on a short story by Simon Rich, who also penned the script. Here's the synopsis, which I assure you is 100% real:

The film is based on Rich's New Yorker novella and stars Rogen as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1920 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn't aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great grandson, Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder whom Herschel can't even begin to understand.

An American Pickle was originally intended to hit theaters via Sony, but since most movie theaters are currently shut down, and we have no idea when they'll open again, Sony and HBO struck a deal to bring the movie to HBO Max this year.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to be partnering with HBO Max to release this film. We worked very hard and put as much of ourselves in this story as possible. We're very proud of the end result and we can't wait for people to get to see it," said Rogen.

Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, added: "HBO Max is in the market for motion pictures that stand out. And An American Pickle does stand out – with Seth in this wonderfully original, funny, and heartfelt film that we look forward to debuting this summer."

HBO Max launches on May 27.

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