Pineapple Express is a 2008 American stoner action-comedy film directed by David Gordon Green, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Rogen and James Franco. The plot concerns a process server and his marijuana dealer friend being on the run from hitmen and a corrupted police officer after witnessing the murder of a competitor from his dealer's boss. Producer Judd Apatow, who previously worked with Rogen and Goldberg on Knocked Up and Superbad, assisted in developing the story, which was partially inspired by the bromantic comedy subgenre.