Neighbors sequel officially titled ‘Sorority Rising’

Given the unexpected success of Neighbors in 2013 ($268 million gross on a modest $18 million budget), plans for a sequel to the wild comedy didn't come as much of a surprise. Of course, as with most successful comedies, a decent sequel proves far more difficult to create. But where could they possibly go with a movie about a rambunctious fraternity moving next door to a couple with a newborn baby?

If the sequel's title is any indication, not much further from the original plot. According to Production Weekly, the official title of the sequel will be Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, suggesting the movie will revolve around a sorority moving next door to the Radner family, played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. The title falls in line with earlier speculation that the couple, when having trouble dealing with the sorority, seek out the help of their former nemesis Teddy Sanders, played by Zac Efron.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl form Kick-Ass) has been cast as a major role in the film, with speculation that she could be the primary antagonist sorority sister. The question is, how inappropriate and raunchy will it get? Part of the success of the original Neighbors was due to the film's R rating, something studios tend to shy away from when it comes to summer blockbusters. However, the rating allowed for more explicit comedy.

Obviously, replacing a fraternity with a sorority can open the film up to new comedic jokes. And with the original film not shying away from potentially controversial topics, one has to wonder if the sequel will kick it up a notch. Simply rehashing the same jokes but with a different gender won't work; the comedy in Sorority Rising needs to stand on its own.

Who knows, maybe the film's female antagonists could open things up Rose Byrne, who not only held her own in the first film, but at points stole the scene from Rogen and Efron. Maybe with a sorority, and perhaps a bigger emphasis on boobs and vagina jokes (instead of your typical penis jokes that come with a male-dominated cast), Neighbors 2 could present a bigger opportunity for the actress.

[Cinemablend]