‘50/50’ premiere: Seth Rogen presents the lighter side of cancer

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Cancer -- chicks dig it? In Seth Rogen’s world, they just might.

Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anna Kendrick hit the red carpet in New York on Monday night for the premiere of ‘50/50,’ a comedy-drama that was inspired by real events around screenwriter Will Reiser’s cancer diagnosis six years ago.

Reiser got through it, in part with the humor of his good friend Rogen, then wrote a comedy-drama about the experience when it was done. The ‘50/50’ in the title refers to the odds of survival given to the movie’s lead character.

Photos: ‘50/50’ premiere in New York

Anjelica Huston, who plays mom to Gordon-Levitt’s character, made the scene, as did director Jonathan Levine and screenwriter Reiser. Rogen and Reiser worked together on Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Da Ali G Show’ and the two have producer and exec producer credits on ‘50/50.’ Fiancee Lauren Miller was there on Rogen’s arm.

Also spotted outside the Ziegfeld Theater: Kerry Butler of ‘Scrubs,’ ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ creator Julie Taymor, Keith Powell of ’30 Rock,’ Bill Hader of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ T.V. Carpio of ‘Body of Proof,’ and singer Sean Lennon with Charlotte Kemp Muhl. An after-party was held at the Four Seasons Restaurant.

Tangentially, Gordon-Levitt, who plays the Reiser-inspired character, has been online collecting humorous stories of real-life tragedies to be adapted down the line, possibly, into short films. Or cartoons. Or musical numbers.

Or something like that. Couldn’t hurt, right? With ‘50/50’ opening Friday, there’s at least a precedent.

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-- Christie D’Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville