American Pie franchise gets whole new crust

[HMG] – An American summer has many traditions, among the most questionable of which is the return of American Pie in some warmed-over form. But this year may see an entirely new pie;

Following Hollywood’s tiresome fetish for uncreative ‘reboots,’ Universal is now prepping a whole new adventure for Chuck, Stifler, Oz and the rest of the gang. Writers are huddled, brainstorming what serves as a plot in these things, and most of the cast are said to be eager to revisit their roles.

Now why, you may ask, does NBC-Universal want to bake a new ‘Pie’? Because the 1999 original cost them eleven million dollars, and earned over two-hundred [plus rentals] “American Pie 2″ then bowed in 2001, followed by “American Wedding” in August ’03, which cost $55-million and made $185-million worldwide — plus rentals.

And that’s both their chief motivation and the only inspiration most studios now have.

One snag in Universal’s plans is the passage of time; Most of the cast are keen to return, but the original ‘Pie’ was set in a High School, so their characters are now in their 20′s or 30′s. How do you make that time in life funny??

Also, ‘Pie’ part one was among the first R-rated Summer comedies — a market that’s since been heavily mined by Judd Apatow and others. So you can see their dilemma.

But the Times says Universal has the new film in the works, so like it or not it will come. The big question is, will the audience?

Well…would you?