NOBODY figured “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” as a feminist manifesto, but the lack of women writers did raise eyebrows.

    Writer-director Nicholas Stoller said at the May 16 premiere about the criticism, “It all comes down to Writers Guild rules, and we didn’t have enough time to meet them — we all had to write this really quickly. And I always bring in the cast for input. We worked really hard to make sure the final product would be something for everyone. The main thing is always to make sure the movie is honest with all of the characters.”

    The absence-of-female-writers criticism does not entirely hold up, however. Amanda Lund and Maria Blasucci, who are credited as associate producers, were brought on to punch up the female voices in the film. “I talked to them a lot. They were there every day,” says co-star Carla Gallo. Lund and Blasucci even make a cameo onscreen. “When we’re at the tailgate they’re supposed to be my sorority sisters,” adds Gallo, who says she doesn’t fault the film for its lack of female writers. Rather, she says, it’s the whole comedy genre. “It is a bit of a boys’ club, the comedy world in general, so we do need more female comedy writers. But I can’t complain because they give me some incredible stuff to do.”

    If Lund and Blasucci didn’t do the trick, the film’s leading lady Rose Byrne was on hand. “We have Rose Byrne, who’s a force of nature, who during the writing process if there’s anything she’s like, ‘I don’t know about that,’ it changed,” said co-star Ike Barinholtz.(SD-Agencies)