The Universal Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood, Calif. was home to the Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising press conference. Returning stars Rose Byrne, Zac Efron and Seth Rogen gathered to talk about making part two and the challenges on making a strong sequel to keep the fans and gain new ones. As the premise changes, the characters evolve. As oppose to working as adversaries (like in the first film), the trio join forces to take down Kappa Nu, the sorority next door.

Working as allies Rose Byrne (Kelly Radner) said, “It was a new experience.” Between laughs, Zac Efron (Teddy Sanders) and Seth Rogen (Mac Radner) agreed on it being ‘new and a fun one’. But when it comes to making a sequel, the challenges are quite real. Rogen told us his main goal was to make another good movie. He said, “None of us had made a sequel. None of the people writing the movie and so we really just tried to put a ton of thought into how not to make it terrible.” He added, “We really like the characters and that was the thing that we talked the most about. ‘Where would these characters go next in their lives?’”

Already parents with a second baby on the way, the choice is “obvious”. For the couple, the next move into adulthood is moving to the suburbs. As a mother now Rose said, “theres a lot of things in the movie that now resonate with me in a lot more profound way.” She told us that the evolution of her character now as a mother is something she understands, especially with her character having another baby on the way. For the Radner’s, the process of selling their home becomes a lot less smoother when they learn the new occupants next door are a sorority even stronger than Teddy’s (Efron) old brotherhood. In a recent interview Efron described his character Teddy ‘as being in a fragile state.’ As Teddy helps both Mac and Kelly move the sorority, he becomes aware of where he is in life. “He is on the brink of a new phase of life and is having a quarterly-life crisis,” explained Zac.

In all, the story had quite the female cast and storyline. It was goofy, funny, and entertaining. But how do you write a story revolving around college girls with all men writers? Writer/director Nicholas Stoller explained, “I spent long time with all the actors I have worked with, and this is true in all the movies, kind of interviewing them and making sure that everything makes sense and stuff they are comfortable saying and that seems honest and truthful. I did that with Beanie, Chloë and Kiersey. We sat and had a long session where we talked through everything, and we also had two writers on set, Amanda London and Maria Blasucci, who are really funny comedy writers… we wanted to make sure it all made sense.”

When you think of how far females have come, the thought of not being allowed to have parties because you're a sorority is ludicrous. Same thought was for Seth when an intern admitted sororities were not allowed to throw parties. That became the plot of the film. Stoller recalled, “When I was in college, the women I went to college with drank as much as the guys, they threw up as much, their rooms are often grosser than our rooms because of the hair. There is a lot more hair.” Nicholas said they just wanted to reflect reality. “A lot of the times women in movies are either the saints or they’re the nag or they’re held to a higher standard. We wanted to reflect reality where kids are trying to figure their stuff out, and when they try to figure their stuff out chaos ensues.”

The authenticity of the film is something the female cast finds rather comforting. The women of Kappa Nu are fighting the system. That’s a conversation Chloë Grace Moretz (Shelby), Kiersey Clemons (Beth), and Beanie Feldstein (Nora) hope to develop as a result of the film, to raise a conversation about the sexism in the college education system. As the leader of Kappa Nu, Chloë was delighted to be playing a strong female character. She stated, “She is definitely empowered, is not afraid to say, ‘No’ to someone and doesn't let herself be pushed over by anyone, male or female.” Beth (Clemons) and Nora (Feldstein) join Shelby (Moretz) in establishing the first ever wild sorority where females can be and do what they want. Feldstein, who revealed she’s a recent graduate commented there’s a strong bond between their characters.“They’re just trying to figure it out and seeking comfort in each other.”

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising opens in theaters Friday, May 20th.