Rounding out Sony Pictures’ WonderCon presentation was a panel that previewed the apocalyptic comedy This is the End, which features the likes of Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and many more actually playing themselves up against the end of the world.
A new green band trailer showed off a bit more of the storyline which was then detailed even further in a full clip; Baruchel has flown into Hollywood to visit Rogen and they both head to a big party at James Franco’s house. They’re all in the middle of the celebrity-packed shindig when something happens and the Earth begins to shake. Franco is trying to get everyone to calm down, shouting, “It’s all right! The In N Out truck will be here in ten minutes!”
The shaking gets really severe and everyone starts to run outside to find the Hollywood Hills totally inflamed and the Hollywood sign in ruins. Right in front of Franco’s house, a fiery pit opens and people start to fall in. From down the street, Paul Rudd starts running up with a gift-wrapped bottle, apologizing for being late.
Michael Cera, who’s completely trashed, is stumbling around demanding that someone own up to stealing his cell phone. Suddenly a lampost falls, skewering Cera right through the chest with quite a lot of gore. As he dies, he finds his phone in his pocket.
From there, it’s utter pandemonium with lots and lots of deaths. Rihanna, Martin Starr and many more fall into the pit. Aziz Ansari starts to fall, but manages to catch onto the edge. He begs Robinson for help, but Robinson shoots back, “It’s too late! You’re already in the pit.” Ansari manages to grab onto Kevin Hart and Hart begins to kick him in the face until he falls. There’s also a shockingly gory moment where Rudd accidentally runs right over a girl’s head, squashing it like a melon.
Judging from the trailer, the apocalypse of the film is a biblical one and we’re going to see all sorts of various means of destruction, including what looks like some kind of hulking monster. Another scene was shown off wherein Hill has been possessed by some kind of devilish spirt and it opens with the title card, “The Exorcism of Jonah Hill.”
Strapped to his bed Exorcist-style, Hill’s face is grey and demonic as Franco, Rogen, Baruchel and Robinson enter with handmade crosses.
“The power of Christ compels you!” shouts Baruchel.
“Oh does it? Does it compel me?” deadpans the demonic Hill. “Guess what? It’s not that compelling.”
The trailer also features a quick scene with Emma Watson who, wielding an axe, hits Rogen in the face in, apparently, an effort to steal his supplies.
“We thought it would be really funny to see famous people die in really graphic ways,” laughed Rogen after the footage had screened.
With the promise of “double digit” celebrity deaths, This is the End arrives in theaters June 12.
