Above is the trailer for Jay and Seth vs the Apocalypse, a short film that I have not found online (I saw the trailer when it hit a year ago, but that’s it. If you have a link to the short, please forward it on). In it Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel survive the end of the world, and have to deal with what comes after… and each other. Can two comedy men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?*

Now that short has been optioned for an actual feature length movie of the same title, to be written by Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg. Mandate Pictures is producing and is hoping to get the movie off the ground sometime next year, Rogen’s increasingly busy schedule permitting.

I like the idea of the movie, but it all comes down to two things: budget and director. I hope the budget is small, so that the movie isn’t an FX-filled post-Apocalyptic story; two guys trapped in an apartment is funnier than two guys fighting a radioactive monster or something. And if the budget is smaller Goldberg and Rogen can go more places with the comedy, and the end of the world offers some nice darkly comic possibilities.

By the way, I sort of just love the idea that Jay Baruchel is getting a role where his name’s in the title. It’s so gratifying seeing the way all of these guys hang together and bootstrap each other to the next level, and I’m not just talking about the comedy dudes. If horror guys were as friendly a community (and some of them here in LA are definitely attempting it), you’d be seeing a horror movie renaissance on par with the comedy renaissance we’re currently enjoying.

* I am strongly considering going to this movie and pretending it’s a big screen sequel to Undeclared. A very odd big screen sequel, but one nonetheless.