Universal will continue to be in the business of Judd Apatow.
The company’s film and television studios announced on Wednesday that they have entered into multi-year production agreements with Apatow and his company Apatow Productions.
Apatow’s relationship with Universal Pictures began in 2005 with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and has continued to be mutually successful. His films, including “Knocked Up,” “Trainwreck” and most recently “The King of Staten Island,” have grossed nearly $3 billion at the global box office. On the television side, he’s responsible for acclaimed comedies like “Freaks and Geeks,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Crashing” and “Love.” His latest documentary, “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling,” won an Emmy.
“Judd has championed the industry’s most groundbreaking comedic voices for the past two decades and has inspired and guided an entire generation of filmmakers and creators,” said Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley, who made Wednesday’s announcement with Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe. “His unerring eye for talent and his mastery as a writer and filmmaker continue to command the attention of audiences worldwide, even as the entertainment landscape has undergone seismic changes over the course of his career. We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Judd with this new pact and can’t wait to share what he and his team create with our global audience.”
Igbokwe adds, “We are eager to expand Judd’s longtime relationship with NBCUniversal by making his television home here at Universal Studio Group. We, like most audiences, are fans of his unconventional characters and unparalleled brand of comedy. We look forward to giving him a creative environment to do what he does best – make us laugh.”
Apatow is currently in post-production on “Bros,” starring Billy Eichner. He’s producing the romantic comedy, which is breaking ground as the first major studio film to feature an entirely LGBTQ cast. “Bros” centers on two gay men with commitment issues who attempt a relationship. Nicholas Stoller directed the film, which opens in theaters on Aug. 12, 2022.
On the television side, the new deal will cover Apatow’s projects for both internal and external networks, including NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock. He already has several shows in development, including “Dystrophia,” a co-production between UTV and A24, starring comedian Steve Way (“Ramy”) and co-written with Jonathan Braylock and Ramy Youssef. Youssef is also producing with Apatow through his Cairo Cowboy production company. The half-hour series, loosely inspired by Way’s life with muscular dystrophy, follows a young man navigating family, romance and the bureaucratic health-care system.
“For 18 years, Universal Pictures has been an incredibly creative and supportive partner in my film career,” said Apatow. “It only took me 18 years to realize I should probably try to do that with the television studio, too. I am so excited to get started.”
Apatow was represented in the deal by UTA, Mosaic and Ziffren Brittenham.
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