Judd Apatow and his Apatow Productions have signed a multiyear production deal for both film and TV with Universal Pictures and Universal Studio Group, continuing the director’s relationship with the studio.
Apatow’s relationship with Universal dates back to 2005’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and the upcoming “Bros” with Billy Eichner. This latest film is produced by Apatow and is currently in post-production at the studio. No specific film projects were announced as part of the deal.
On the television side, the new deal will cover Apatow’s activities for both internal and external networks, including Peacock. Apatow has multiple projects in development, including “Dystrophia,” a co-production between UTV and A24 and starring comedian Steve Way (“Ramy”) and co-written with Jonathan Braylock and Ramy Youssef. Youssef is also producing “Dystrophia” with Apatow through his Cairo Cowboy production company.
The half-hour series, loosely inspired by Way’s life with muscular dystrophy, follows an irreverent young man navigating family, romance and the bureaucratic health-care system. The series intends to showcase disabled comedic talent in supporting roles, honoring Way’s work as an inclusivity advocate.
“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,” Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, said in a statement. “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.”
“We are eager to expand Judd’s longtime relationship with NBCUniversal by making his television home here at Universal Studio Group,” Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group, said in a statement. “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.”
“For 18 years Universal Pictures has been an incredibly creative and supportive partner in my film career,” Apatow said. “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 most recently directed for Universal “The King of Staten Island” with Pete Davidson from 2020. His next film “The Bubble,” a satire about a bumbling film crew trying to complete a movie during the beginning of the COVID lockdowns, hits Netflix on April 1.
Apatow was represented in the deal by UTA, Mosaic and Ziffren Brittenham.
