It’s been over a decade since the star-studded apocalypse comedy This Is the End hit theaters, but one behind-the-scenes story continues to set the internet ablaze: the day Emma Watson walked off the set.
While the Harry Potter alum’s cameo as an axe-wielding version of herself remains a fan favorite, director and star Seth Rogen is opening up about a specific moment that was just a bridge too far for the actress.
The scene in question? A wild, raunchy sequence involving Danny McBride as a cannibalistic wasteland king and Channing Tatum as his leash-wearing “gimp.”
According to Rogen, the sheer absurdity of the moment didn’t quite translate from the script to the stage. “I think sometimes when you read something when it comes to life, it doesn’t seem to be what you thought it was,” Rogen shared in a candid interview with British GQ.
Social media users on X and TikTok have long speculated about the tension on set, but Rogen is quick to shut down any rumors of a “diva” moment. In fact, he says Watson was incredibly professional about the whole ordeal.
“It was not some terrible ending to our relationship,” Rogen clarified. “She came back the next day to say goodbye. She helped promote the film. No hard feelings.”
The comedian even admitted that Watson’s instinct might have saved the movie. After she voiced her discomfort with the cannibalism angle, the team pivoted. “She was probably right,” Rogen joked. “It was probably funnier the way we ended up doing it.”
The final cut turned out to be a massive success, grossing over $ million worldwide, but the culture shock for Watson was real. James Franco noted at the time that the loose, raunchy atmosphere was a far cry from the structured world of Harry Potter.
“I did get the sense that she’d never done a movie like this before,” Franco said. “I mean, she really went for it, but I could see that it was like, ‘Oh, this is not how they shot Harry Potter.'”
Despite the awkwardness of the “gimp” scene, Rogen remains a huge fan of Watson’s comedic timing. “I did not think she would do it, but she did, and she’s fing hilarious,” he raved.
It seems that even in the middle of a fictional apocalypse, there are some lines you just don’t cross—especially if they involve Channing Tatum on a leash!
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