The top movies on the Netflix global chart are pretty diverse this week, from recent originals like Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca to horror pictures such as The Purge: Anarchy and Cadaver. Sneaking onto the list, however, is the Seth Rogen-starring Neighbors, with the 2014 comedy currently sitting at sixth place in the worldwide rankings. Why, then, might the pic be getting so much love right now? 1h6w6

One possible answer is that Neighbors is a light, dependably funny movie and as we all know, it’s been a fairly bleak last few months. The Nicholas Stoller-directed production sees Rogen pair up with Rose Byrne as a husband-and-wife duo with a young child who have to deal with a fraternity moving in next door. Led by Zac Efron’s Teddy, the college kids soon end up in a war with Rogen and Byrne’s Mac and Kelly Radner, setting up some ingenious sequences.

I caught up with Neighbors, or Bad Neighbors as it’s sometimes called, a couple of years ago. Compared to a lot of other comedies of a similar tone from the last decade, it’s arguably a cut above, helped by strong central performances and a commitment to stretching the possibilities of its premise. Critics and audiences were positive about the film, too, which also went a long way towards confirming that Efron is a talented comedic lead.

A sequel, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, arrived in 2016, and provided a solid female-focused spin on the original plot, making it worth checking out if you enjoyed its predecessor. Things have been a bit quiet in of a follow-up, although Rogen did produce a tongue-in-cheek short for his social media followers at the time of Sorority Rising‘s release.

If you’re looking for a low effort movie to take your mind off current events, then, Neighbors is a strong option, and stands up to repeat viewings, something that can also be said for the other Seth Rogen-starring titles currently available on Netflix.

Aside from early screenings of this year’s Oscar contenders – think Silence or the critically adorned La La Land – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ostensibly closed the book on this year’s stacked slate of movie releases leaving us, the viewer, simultaneously reflecting back on the past 12 months, all the while keeping one eye trained on 2017’s major frontrunners. Here’s looking at you, John Wick: Chapter 2.

But 2016 will no doubt be ed as a strange, yet historic year – and we’re just not talking about global politics – one in which artistic science fiction left us breathless (Arrival), hardcore thrillers shook us down to the very core (Green Room) and shared universes struggled to leave first gear. Then again, even if Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad quickly devolved into online scapegoats despite their financial success, the immediate future of the DC Extended Universe looks bright, what with Wonder Woman and Justice League both earmarked for 2017.

On the Marvel side of things, 2016 was another slam-dunk. Not only did Captain America: Civil War blow past all expectations – expectations that were already considerably high – Doctor Strange introduced Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme with aplomb, becoming the studio’s most successful solo movie in the process. Toss in the record-breaking success of Deadpool and all in all, comic book fans had plenty to enjoy throughout the course of 2016 – the so-so X-Men: Apocalypse included.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t pinpoint some of the welcome cinematic surprises unearthed over the past 12 months – surprises that range from David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water to The Lobster, a hilariously quirky story of love and loss.

Even when pulling all of those releases together, we’ve only really scratched the surface of what 2016 had to offer, so to expand the scope, We Got This Covered has cut together a year in review trailer to celebrate the crème de la crème. You’ll find it up above, and if it’s more original content you’re after, look no further than the official WGTC YouTube page.

This summer, a sorority rose to the occasion the likes of which we’ve never seen. Channeling the riotous nature of its predecessor, Nicholas Stoller’s Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising occupied theaters resulting in the rarest of all cinematic phenomenon: a comedy sequel that can stand toe-to-toe with its forebear.

Our own Matt Donato championed this feat in his review, but if you missed out on the fun when Neighbors 2 was playing in theaters, don’t fret; it’s due to hit Blu-ray and DVD on September 20 and to celebrate, We Got This Covered has a prize pack to give away to one lucky reader.

Yes, we’ve sifted our way between the Radner’s and the Kappas – a group of party-loving sisters led by Chloë Grace Moretz – to unearth a prize pack that includes a Blu-ray Combo pack of the film – Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD all included – a drawstring bag along with a Neighbors 2 T-shirt. See the gallery below to go up close and personal with each item.

So, how do you enter? As always, it’s pretty easy. All we ask you to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel. Once you’ve done so, email [email protected] with your YouTube name so that we can confirm your entry. As an added bonus, if our channel hits 15,000 subscribers by the end of the contest, we’ll choose 2 winners instead of just 1 (so be sure to tell your friends to enter, too).

The contest will close on September 30th at 11:59pm EST, at which time a winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

Despite opening with Seth Rogen’s familiar grunts of ion, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising has no intention of safely lambasting Greek Life culture for a second time. The boys may be back, but it’s the women who take Nicholas Stoller’s hilarious sequel by the balls, demanding comedic equality while eviscerating skewed perceptions. Refreshingly, female characters are granted the hard-earned respect they deserve. Pro-feminist, pro-LGBT, pro-WHATEVER, this is no mere movie. It’s a damning response that hears a growing chorus of voices, and loudens their cries with a Hollywood megaphone. Sure, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s five-man writing team may aggressively force their agenda at times, but that doesn’t make their message any less true – or necessary.

You saw Neighbors, so Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising shouldn’t come as a structural surprise. Once again, Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) square off against rowdy college kids living next door. The boys of Delta Psi Beta are long gone, and in come the girls of Kappa Nu – a sorority started by three loners (Chloë Grace Moretz as Shelby, Kiersey Clemons as Beth and Beanie Feldstein as Nora) who are sick of skeevy frat dens.

Since college-sanctioned sororities aren’t allowed to throw parties, these girls go off the grid and start Kappa Nu, much to the dismay of the Radners. This isn’t just about keeping their daughter safe, though. The Radners are currently in escrow on their house, and have 30 days before the sale is approved. As long as Kappa Nu doesn’t scare away the prospective buyers, Mac and Kelly are in the clear. I mean, really – what are a few pot-smoking, house-trashing, bikini-wearing chicks capable of anyway?

So, so f#cking much. This is a comedy with a sense of obligation towards society’s forced generalization of the female experience. Reparations are immediately offered in the form of gratuitous Zac Efron ab shots, but Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising goes far beyond its duties, offering  instead of weak apologies.

Listen, Neighbors is worthy douche-bro hilarity in my book, which only makes Nicholas Stoller’s infinitely funnier (and socially relevant) sequel that much more impressive. Teddy (Zac Efron), Pete (Dave Franco) and the Delta gang are all about gags and cheap tricks, but the Kappa Nu girls launch more savvy, manipulative and (shudders) bloody attacks. Even better, they’re fighting for SOMETHING, not just the authority to rage onward.

These sisters embark on a quest to become free-spirited women who shouldn’t constantly feel unsafe around circling fraternity bros. Sororities have been relegated to wet t-shirt contests and jello wrestling for too long, as izod-clad “knights” swill alcohol and cheer like hormonal hyenas. This is a rallying cry for women who deserve better, and a wake-up call for guys who are just “carrying tradition” and purporting even grosser cinematic stereotypes.

Granted, even I walked out of my Neighbors 2: Sorority Row screening thinking “OK, times aren’t great, but some of the social justice fighting was a bit overblown.” Then I logged onto Facebook and immediately saw one video about a film critic refusing to review Paul Feig’s all-female Ghostbusters movie, a “mean-tweets” farce where men had to read random comments to the faces of female sportscasters (gut-wrenching), and 1,000 more examples of mansplaining that was dumber than anything Rogen or Goldberg could ever imagine. All of a sudden, drunk assholes running around squirting girls’ chests with water guns and blatant “I just got Cosby’ed!” jokes don’t seem so far-fetched. Can it be true that something so exploitative in nature is actually one of the ballsier, more outspoken female activist films in the last few years?

Undoubtedly.

Of course, without strong female characters, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising would be just another frat-humor comedy with little relative value outside situational laughs. This is where the girls of Kappa Nu take over, led by Chloë Grace Moretz and her angsty millennial disgust. Moretz is bold and funny, while her clan provides a surprisingly physical breakout from Beanie Feldstein, along with Kiersey Clemons’ hilarious kinda-good-girl charms. These ladies are devious, clueless and representative of a larger ideal that more girls should feel empowered to grasp – which we, as a society, have to make accessible.

The old-timers aren’t to be messed with, either. Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen speak up for the scared, fearless parents that younger generations can only hope they’ll evolve into. They’re honest “fuck-ups” who let Stella (Elise/Zoey Vargas) play with dildos and eat weed nuggets, yet valiantly wage war with more energy than their younger counterparts. Byrne’s ability to go from a pouty puppy dog to a roaring lion remains unmatched, while Rogen’s painted-on abs are worn like a badge of parental honor. These two are committed no matter what they do – marriage, parenting, prank wars – evoking the sturdy beams of devotion every relationship should be built on. Perfection is a fantasy, while the Radners possess a realness that audiences should envy.

Or you can be Jimmy (Ike Barinholtz) and Paula (Carla Gallo), which is totally fine, too. I mean, Ike Barinholtz DOES achieve the biggest laughs as a hellishly-costumed clown, and Carla Gallo is too good at playing, well, everything Paula stands for (trashy, too-old party girl).

And how can we forget the hypnotizing beauty of Zac Efron, playing a hopeless, forever-frat-brother in Teddy? His job modeling at Abercrombie & Fitch goes nowhere, so he moves in with Kappa Nu as an adviser. This goes horribly, so he defects to Team Radner, which re-kindles a more mature bro-bond with Rogen’s Mac.

Teddy is a dumb, wounded animal who never wants to grow up and freaks out when his best-bud Pete asks him to move out (after getting engaged). While this is the slightest arc of all – ridiculous man-child forced to embrace responsibility – Efron’s obvious sexual manipulation provides non-stop laughs, as Teddy rises with the fury of a thousand hazing paddles.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is far more than a cash-grab sequel or a minimal-effort franchise floater. Very rarely does Hollywood permit a sequel of this caliber, especially given how vocal Rogen’s crew gets about certain issues. It’s hilariously poignant and unabashedly honest, but never to a fault. Think less “drunk guy at a party ranting incoherently,” and more “Hannibal Buress exposing Bill Cosby through comedy” (Oh yeah – Hannibal’s cameo made me pee a little). We need movies that are willing to latch onto conviction with such courage, because this is what comedy does best – address tough issues through humor, satire and a hell of a lot of pointed shame.

Ever the one to think outside the box – often a line of thinking that heralds disastrous results – Zac Efron’s Teddy hatches a seemingly foolproof plan the latest clip for Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and yes, it involves taking his shirt off.

Putting old rivalries to one side in the face of a common enemy, Efron’s jock s forces with Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s well-to-do parents Mac and Kelly Radner in order to exercise some control over the rowdy sorority next door. Such a strategy sparks an all-out turf war between the Radner’s and the Kappas – a group of party-loving sisters led by Chloë Grace Moretz.

Attempting to orchestrate said chaos from behind the lens is director Nicholas Stoller. With a Sorority on the rise, Stoller has recruited a starry ensemble for this year’s comedy sequel, one which comprises Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kiersey Clemons, Beanie Feldstein, Selena Gomez and Lisa Kudrow.

The battle lines are draw; Universal and Point Grey Pictures have planted the flag on a May 20 release date. All that’s left now is for Zac Efron and Seth Rogen to raise domestic hell in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being.

Tired of their school’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to start a house where they can do whatever the hell they want. When Shelby (Moretz) and her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place just off campus, they won’t let the fact that it’s located on a quiet street stand in their way of parties as epic as the guys throw.

We’ve seen outrageous posters and hilarious clips and today, Universal and Point Grey Pictures have unleashed the riotous red band trailer for comedy sequel, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

Welcoming back Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as well-to-do parents Mac and Kelly Radner, Sorority Rising picks up at a time when the lovestruck couple are expecting a second child. Seeking pastures anew, the Radners tee up plans to move to a bigger home, but they’re forced to wait a further 90 days while the deal falls into place – although those three months will seem like an eternity thanks to Chloe Grace Moretz’s party-starter.

Flanked by a group of sorority sisters, Moretz sets about turning the Kappas’ home into a party haven and in their desperation for some peace and quiet, Rogen and Byrne’s couple form an unlikely friendship with Zac Efron’s returning jock, Teddy.

Nicholas Stoller is behind the lens, while Rogen is also part of the writing team, along with Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O’Brien. Lisa Kudrow and Billy Eichner around out the core cast list. 

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising will raise all hell when Universal and Point Grey Pictures launch the comedy sequel on May 20.

Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being.

Tired of their school’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to start a house where they can do whatever the hell they want. When Shelby (Moretz) and her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place just off campus, they won’t let the fact that it’s located on a quiet street stand in their way of parties as epic as the guys throw.

If Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s well-to-do parents had their work cut out for them in Nicholas Stoller’s riotous comedy, Neighbors, then the couple won’t be too keen to hear that there’s a sorority on the rise.

Specifically, one spearheaded by Chloe Grace Moretz in this year’s hotly-anticipated sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Releasing by way of Point Grey Pictures and Universal, today heralds the arrival of a new poster for Stoller’s follow-up, which finds Rogen, Byrne and Moretz’s hard-partying Shelby on opposite sides of the white picket fence.

Forced to put old differences aside, in their fit of desperation, Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) turn to Teddy (a largelry shirtless Zac Efron) for help. He is, for lack of a better term, their ace in the hole, and it’s left to Efron to infiltrate the Kappas’ home – a strategy that, yes, doesn’t exactly go according to plan.

Setting out to prove that the 2014 sleeper hit wasn’t a one-trick pony, Point Grey Pictures and Universal will launch Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – starting a turf war in the process – into theaters on May 20. Lisa Kudrow and Billy Eichner also star.

Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being.

Tired of their school’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to start a house where they can do whatever the hell they want. When Shelby (Moretz) and her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place just off campus, they won’t let the fact that it’s located on a quiet street stand in their way of parties as epic as the guys throw.

Gunning to prove that the 2014 sleeper hit wasn’t a one-off fluke, Point Grey Pictures and Universal have premiered the full-length trailer for comedy sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, showcasing outrageous scenes, new cast and of course, a shirtless Zac Efron.

Arriving off the back of yesterday’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it teaser, today’s sizzling hot sizzle reel is packed to the brim with dick jokes and the kind of ball-busting humor that made the original such a pleasant surprise. But will lightning strike twice?

Chloe Grace Moretz and singer-songstress Selena Gomez are among the newcomers causing all sorts of havoc in Stoller’s sequel, and it’s the former renegade that whips up a storm when she’s recruited to Gomez’ graceful sorority, eventually ripping up the rulebook to form her own party haven in the process.

Such a move then forces Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) to set aside old differences and unite with Teddy (Efron) and Pete (Franco) to combat the sorority sisters that threaten to disrupt the peace and quiet. There’s a sorority on the rise, and by the looks of things, Mac and Teddy will have their work cut out if they’re to upstage the new kids on the block.

Comedy sequels may be a difficult butterfly to pin, with more dour disappointments smothering any truly novel and funny follow-ups, but what lends Sorority Rising the benefit of the doubt – for now, at least – is that it reunites much of the cast and crew from its predecessor. A worldwide gross north of $270 million may be out of the question, but Universal has welcomed back director Nicholas Stoller, along with Dave Franco, Efron and the equally-topless Seth Rogen.

Prepare for another dose of community shenanigans when Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising lands in theaters on May 20. Lisa Kudrow and Billy Eichner also star.

With the first trailer set to drop tomorrow, Universal has released a brief, 15 second sneak peak of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising to whet our appetites. Given its length, it really doesn’t show off a whole lot, but we do get a look at several of the principal cast, along with a glimpse of the havoc that they’ll have to deal with as well as the obligatory “Zac Efron abs shot.”

It’s not much, but seeing how the whole team from the original film is reunited here, not to mention that they’ll be ed by some new talent, like Chloe Moretz, our excitement for Neighbors 2 is already quite high and we’re very eager to see what the studio has put together.

Comedy sequels aren’t always that easy to pull off, but we’re feeling pretty confident that director Nicholas Stoller and his cast will have no trouble capturing lightning in a bottle once more when the much anticipated follow-up pulls into theatres this Spring.

We’ll undoubtedly be seeing a lot more of the film in the months to come, but for now, check out the quick sneak peak above and stay tuned for the full trailer, which we’ll have for you tomorrow.

Neighbors 2 will hit theatres on May 20th, 2016.

Neighbors was a huge box office hit back in 2014 and received extremely positive reviews from critics, and while it very much felt like a one off, a sequel is indeed on the way. Reuniting Seth Rogen with his nemesis Zac Efron, we now have the first official image from the follow-up, which has been released via EW.

ing the returning cast are Chloe Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez, the leaders of a sorority who will be moving in and causing trouble for the movie’s leads in Neighbors 2. As a result, expect to see them put in even more bizarre scenarios, some of which include a “disorienting hall-of-mirrors rave and a down-and-dirty Mad Max-inspired tailgate,” according to Entertainment Weekly.

When asked about the latter, Rogen said:

“That one was both a lot of fun and a nightmare to shoot. Anytime I’m shirtless next to Zac Efron for really long periods, it even gets to me eventually.”

Neighbors 2 also stars Dave Franco, Lisa Kudrow and Billy Eichner, and it’s currently set to be released on May 20th, 2016. Now that the first photo has been released, be sure to stay tuned for the trailer, which should be with us soon.

The cast of Nicholas Stoller’s comedy sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising continues to grow today, with The Hollywood Reporter revealing that both Clara Mamet and rapper Nora Lum have boarded the film.

Incidentally, the former is best known for her recurring role on ABC’s sitcom The Neighbors, while Nora Lum – commonly referred to by her rapper pseudonym, Awkwafina –  is primed to make her feature film debt with Sorority Rising. Universal’s starry follow-up has been drafting in new cast left, right and center in recent weeks, with the addition of Chloë Grace Moretz followed in quick succession by Selena Gomez. Each actress will reportedly star as eccentric of rivalling sororities, which will no doubt throw up all kinds of trouble for Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s returning characters.

Universal will be looking at the bigger picture, though. After raking a box office haul to the tune of $269 million last year, Neighbors was one of 2014’s sleeper hits, leading to the studio fast-tracking development on the follow-up in question. One thing’s for sure: as a comedy sequel, Sorority Rising will be facing an uphill battle from the get-go to win over audiences. From the Hangover to Anchorman to the wholly unnecessary Horrible Bosses 2, the genre has left much to be desired in recent years, and we’re hoping Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising can buck the trend.

Script work on the sequel is currently being handled by Andrew Jay Cohen, Brendan O’Brien, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Dave Franco and Carlo Gallo are also back for the domestic comedy, while Kiersey Clemons and Beanie Feldstein  Mamet and Lum in the newcomers camp.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising will aim to introduce a whole new brand of chaos when Nicholas Stoller’s sequel hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

Selena Gomez is primed to swap the title of spring breaker for sorority girl now that The Wrap reports the singer-cum-actress has ed the cast of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

Today’s news arrives barely a month after we learned Chloë Grace Moretz boarded the comedy sequel, as it begins to assemble a starry cast ahead of its debut in the summer of next year. Nicholas Stoller is once again in the director’s chair for Neighbors 2, working from a script produced by Andrew Jay Cohen, Brendan O’Brien, Seth Rogen (who also stars in the film) and Evan Goldberg.

The Wrap posits that Gomez has ed the ensemble as a direct rival to Moretz’s character, who upends the newfound peace between Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen’s married couple, and their rowdy neighbor Teddy (Zac Efron). Beyond that, there’s scant plot details to go on at this early stage, but if anything, Sorority Rising is beginning to catch our attention with its star-studded cast. Speaking of which, Dave Franco and Carlo Gallo are back for the domestic comedy, whereas Kiersey Clemons and Beanie Feldstein constitute the new kids on the block.

One concern we have right off the bat, though, is that Neighbors 2 is by its very nature following up on a box office sleeper hit. It’s a familiar trend that comedy films fail to emulate on their predecessor, with Horrible Bosses 2 being the most recent and egregious example. With that in mind, we’ll just have to hold onto Zac Efron’s comments the follow-up will be “off the chain.”

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is primed to hit theaters on May 6, 2016.