Thomas Ian Nicholas, who played Kevin in the American Pie films, has revealed that a fifth movie in the franchise almost happened in 2021, with studio executives in talks about a sequel.
The 46-year-old actor told the Mirror that he learned of the potential sequel while attending the premiere of the M. Night Shyamalan film Old, in which his son starred. The movie was also a Universal picture.
Negotiations for American Pie 5
Nicholas said the president of Universal told him directly at the premiere that the studio was negotiating for American Pie 5 with the creator of the franchise. "So in 2021 it almost happened, but look, they mustn't have come to terms on the negotiation," he said.
He added: "But that tells me that it's not just interest from the folks that love the film, but also the studio itself." Since then, he has "got my fingers crossed that there will be another opportunity for it to come back around."
His comments come after Seann William Scott, who played Stifler, appeared to dismiss the possibility of further instalments earlier this year.
Almost turning down the role
Nicholas starred alongside Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Tara Reid and Mena Suvari in the coming-of-age comedy series created by screenwriter Adam Herz.
The actor confessed he almost turned down the chance to join the cast. "The audition process for me was strange in the sense that I initially turned it down, just even the audition, because I judged a book by its cover and thought, 'Oh, here's this teen sex comedy, like no thanks.'"
He continued: "But I didn't realise there was a lot more to it and it had heart. And then once I read the script fully, I understood and thought, 'Oh, this is cool.' And then getting it was exciting."
UK tour with his band
Nicholas is now incorporating the movie into his current tour with his band. The Thomas Nicholas band is heading to the UK for a set of shows that will see fans of the film watch along with him, before the band closes the evening with a throwback party.
Nicholas said: "American Pie and pop-punk are synonymous. They're kind of like bread and butter, they're hand in hand. I don't think you have one without the other, really, because when American Pie came out, the compilation of that and the story lines in the films, it all kind of jumped at the same time."
His music has crossed into the American Pie universe, with the band's track My Generation featuring on the American Reunion soundtrack, while their song 1999 puts a playful spin on Bowling For Soup's classic hit 1985.
The tour includes a date at the KU in Stockton. Describing what fans can expect, Nicholas said people who attend his shows often tell him the experience "made me feel young again." He described nostalgia as "a safe place where we can reminisce and think back and enjoy the things that we discovered then that we can revisit now."
In a message to fans, he added: "I tell you this: if you want, you can stay home, and you can have no fun, and if that's your choice, you're missing out on everything, so don't miss out. Whether you're a massive American Pie fan, love your pop-punk and emo anthems or just fancy a completely different night out, this is going to be a lot of fun."
Ticket information is available on the band's website.
