Entertainment

It's Not 'Neighbors 2' Without Dave Franco

by Kadeen Griffiths

If you were to ask most people, they might mistakenly tell you that Neighbors was about Seth Rogen and Zac Efron in a comedy showdown, simply because their names were the largest on the movie poster. More savvy viewers might say that Rogen and Rose Byrne get into an epic and hilarious battle with Efron and his fraternity for neighborhood dominance. But true fans of Neighbors, or at least fans who are like me, will mention that one of the cornerstones of the film, and one of the catalysts for the character development of Efron's Teddy Sanders, is his friendship with fellow fraternity member and leader Pete Regazolli (Dave Franco). Thus, it's a cause for celebration that Dave Franco is returning for Neighbors 2, because I honestly can't see how they can make this movie without him.

In the film, Teddy and Pete are the leaders of Delta Psi, but, while Teddy has made the fraternity his entire life to the exclusion of silly college things like grades and outside relationships, Pete actually bothers to study and realize that there's life outside of the fraternity. He and Teddy get into a big fight about it, but Teddy ultimately chooses to let Pete escape to his brighter future and while Teddy stays and takes the rap for the noise complaints and property damage ushered in by his latest party slash struggle with Rogen and Byrne. It was literally adorable, and came just when you thought Teddy was lazy, immature, and self-servicing.

Of course, I could just be incredibly biased. After all, Efron and Franco have a friendship that is just as hilarious and sweet off-screen as it is on-screen. Neighbors is their second film together after Charlie St. Cloud, and the two men love to joke around with one another in real life. But don't take my word for it. Here are some of their best friendship moments, to remind you why it's so important that the two be reunited for a third film.

1. When James Franco Confirmed They're Dating

Obviously, if James Franco says it, then it must be true. Alternatively, if you're such good friends with a guy that your older brother is joking that the pair of you should just get married, then you guys should star in all the movies together.

2. When Zac Efron Got Handsy With Dave Franco

The MTV Movie Awards is always a place where absolutely anything can happen, and Franco and Efron pretty much went out of their way to take that ceremony from PG to PG-13 pretty quickly. And all while doing Robert De Niro impressions.

3. When Dave Franco's Robert De Niro Impression Was Really Good

In the midst of an otherwise routine interview about the film, Efron can't help but stop everything to let Franco know that, of the two of them, he was the one with the superior De Niro impression during Neighbors. Say it with me guys: awwwww.

4. When He Put Zac Efron's Injury On Blast

Christopher Polk/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

During an interview with The Wire, Franco spoke about Efron's on-set injury and revealed that it gave him cause for strange bragging rights: "Well... he can claim it was on a mantel, but I'm 98 percent sure it was upon impact of my balls. It was a typical stand-off where we're holding on to each other's balls and we were wearing cups over our junk, and I really do think that he came in hard and literally fractured his hand... So, regardless of what happens in my career from here on out, I can always fall back on the fact that Zac Efron broke his hand on my balls." Ah, true friendship.

Image: Universal Pictures (2)