LOS ANGELES—The script for Epic Movie 2: Epicer Movie is, according to writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, only one crotch-hitting joke short of going into production. "Twenty-three times throughout the film, a crotch is kicked, punched, raked, shoveled, bitten, or hit with either a baseball bat, tennis racket, or nunchucks, but 20th Century Fox keeps invoking Hollywood's 'rule of 24,'" said Friedberg. "In their opinion, the film could use a second crotch-hitting joke right at the beginning to really set the tone. Aaron and I feel strongly that 23 crotch jokes is enough, and 24 would be overdoing it. But that's not to say we wouldn't be willing to compromise with the studio if necessary to bring our creative vision to the screen." A studio source confirmed that the "near-perfect" script already has the correct number of bodily fluids being consumed by an unsuspecting character (seven), allusions to black culture (168), and potential laugh-out-loud moments (one).