Where to watch American Pie (1999)

Trivia & production notes

• Adam Herz wrote the script in just six weeks after the success of Scream signaled a return to teen films.
• The screenplay's original working title was "Untitled Teenage Sex Comedy That Can Be Made For Under $10 Million That Most Readers Will Probably Hate But I Think You Will Love," which sparked a bidding war won by Universal Pictures for $750,000.
• Directors Chris and Paul Weitz had never directed a single frame of film before helming American Pie, having previously only co-written the animated film Antz.
• Jonathan Taylor Thomas turned down the role of Jim Levenstein, which ultimately went to Jason Biggs.
• Eugene Levy reimagined his character Noah Levenstein as a neurotic, overprotective father rather than the "All-American dad guy" as originally written.
• Blink-182 members Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus auditioned for the role of Stifler, which was given to Seann William Scott.
• The film was originally titled "Great Falls" but test audiences reacted negatively, prompting a title change to American Pie, which Universal initially resisted.
• Though set in Michigan, American Pie was shot entirely in Southern California, with high school scenes filmed at two Long Beach schools within five miles of locations used in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Donnie Darko.
• The modest budget gave filmmakers considerable creative freedom, allowing actors to improvise much of their dialogue.
• The "Dog Years" restaurant hangout in the film was inspired by Yesterdog, a real hot dog restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article American Pie (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.