Apatow Productions

Infobox Company
name = Apatow Productions

type = Film/television production company
genre = Comedy
foundation = 1999 (original date)
2004 (official launch)
founder = Judd Apatow
location_city = Los Angeles, California
location_country = USA
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Judd Apatow Shauna Robertson Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg Clayton Townsend
industry = Television series, motion pictures

Apatow Productions is an American film/television production company founded by Judd Apatow in 1999. Apatow Productions is solely a production company, and it has never distributed its own movies; Universal Studios and Columbia Pictures distribute most of the films made by Apatow Productions. Actors Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, and Bill Hader have risen to fame by starring in films and television series under the Apatow banner.

Judd Apatow founded the company in 1999 and began working in television. After a series of short-lived but critically-acclaimed television series, Apatow Productions ceased working in television and moved on to film. The company's film work has been far more successful than its television work. Apatow productions has been responsible for eight hit comedy films over the past five years, including ', "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", ', "Knocked Up", "Superbad", "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Step Brothers", and "Pineapple Express". They have also, for the most part, been critically acclaimed. In addition to various Apatow-directed films, the company has also produced movies for other directors including Adam McKay ("," ', "Step Brothers"), Greg Mottola ("Superbad"), Jake Kasdan ('), Steven Brill ("Drillbit Taylor"), Nicholas Stoller ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express"), and Harold Ramis ("The Year One").

Motion pictures

With one major studio

With DreamWorks

*"" (2004)
*"" (2004, direct-to-video)

With Universal Studios

*"The 40 Year-Old Virgin" (2005)
*"Knocked Up" (2007)
*"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008)

With Columbia Pictures

*"" (2006)
*"Superbad" (2007)
*"" (2007)
*"Step Brothers" (2008, with Mosaic Media Group and Gary Sanchez Productions)
*"Pineapple Express" (2008)
*"The Year One" (2009)

With Paramount Pictures

*"Drillbit Taylor" (2008)

With two major studios

With Universal Studios and Columbia Pictures

*"Funny People" (2009, with Happy Madison Productions)

Television shows

With DreamWorks Television

*"Freaks and Geeks" (1999-2000) - NBC
*"Undeclared" (2001-2002) - Fox Network

Unsold pilots

*"Sick in the Head" (1999) - Fox Network
*"North Hollywood" (2001) - ABC
*"Life on Parole" (2002) - Fox Network

Future and inactive projects

Future

The following are film projects recently announced by Apatow productions that have not yet entered the pre-production phase:
*"Five-Year Engagement" - Universal Studios - This project was announced in 2008 and will star Jason Segel as half of a couple that endures a rocky, five-year engagement. Segel will write the script with Nicholas Stoller, who is set to direct. [cite news|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|coauthors=|title=Apatow sets 'Five-Year Engagement'|pages=|publisher=MTV|date=2008-02-28|url=|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"Get Him to the Greek" - Universal Studios - This project will be directed and written by Nicholas Stoller. The film will center on a young insurance adjuster (played by Jonah Hill) who must transport an unmanageable rock star (played by Russell Brand) to a concert. The project was announced in 2008, and filming is expected to begin in early 2009. [cite news|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|coauthors=|title=Apatow, Stoller speak 'Greek'|pages=|publisher=MTV|date=2008-04-22|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117984458.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|accessdate=2008-07-03] After the announcement, it was revealed that Brand will be reprising his role as Aldous Snow from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", except that his character will be back on drugs. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Brand's Booky Wook not a Filmy Wilm|pages=|publisher=The Press Association|date=2008-07-07|url=http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4WQuQThWvVjsp-T8yPxi4mGCBKg|accessdate=2008-07-08]

Inactive

The following are film projects were announced for Apatow Productions that have now become inactive for various reasons:
*Untitled Motorcycle Cop Comedy - New Line Cinema - This project was set to star Will Ferrell and Jack Black as Los Angeles motorcycle police officers, when it was announced in 2003. Apatow was hired to write and direct the film, which would have been his directorial debut. The plot of the film revolved around Ferrell's character leaving Irvine, California because of the lack of crime, only to be partnered with Black's character who comes from a family of police officers. [cite news|last=Downey|first=Ryan J.|coauthors=|title=Jack Black, Will Ferrell Teaming Up to Play Biker Cops|pages=|publisher=MTV|date=2003-03-28|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1470293/20030228/story.jhtml|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"Early Bird" - Paramount Pictures - This project was announced in 2005, but has since become inactive. The film was set to be based upon Rodney Rothman's 2005 novel "Early Bird", in which the main character is a man in his 20s who retires prematurely and moves into a senior citizen community. Before this attempt at turning the novel into a film, it was turned into a television pilot that was not picked up. [cite news|last=Gardner|first=Chris|coauthors=|title='Early Bird' feathering nest at par|pages=|publisher=Variety|date=2005-11-15|url=|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"The Recruiter" - Universal Studios - A film was set to follow one day in the life of a military recruiter for the United States Marines. The project was announced in 2006; and was to have starred "40 Year Old Virgin" cast member Romany Malco in the lead role, from a screenplay by Robert Siegel. [cite news|last=Carroll|first=Larry|coauthors=|title=Steve Carell, 'Virgin' Co-Stars Have Hot Summer Ahead|pages=|publisher=MTV|date=2007-05-21|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1559069/20070508/story.jhtml|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"The Middle Child" - Universal Studios - The script to this project was written by frequent Apatow actor Jonah Hill as a vehicle for him to star in. The plot would revolve around Hill's character being the oldest of two brothers and finding out that his parents put a child that they had before him up for adoption. This older brother (who Hill intended to be played by Seth Rogen) would then reappear and cause Hill's character to experience middle child syndrome in his early 20s. The project seems to be inactive for the time being. [cite news|last=Moro|first=Eric|coauthors=|title=Hill Talks Middle Child|pages=|publisher=IGN|date=2006-10-26|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/741/741870p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*Untitled Dan Mazer Comedy - Universal Studios - The plot and cast of this film was not released when the announcement of the project was made in 2006. Dan Mazer was set to write and to direct. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Borat's pal will direct U comedy|pages=|publisher=Variety|date=2006-12-01|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5143/is_200612/ai_n18580142|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"The Long D" - Universal Studios - This project was written by Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg. The film revolves around two characters named Dave and Rena and traces their long distance relationship as they go to colleges on opposite sides of the country after dating for most of high school. The project was first announced in 2007. The trio wrote the film and intended to film it in 2006, but opted to do "Knocked Up" instead. Because Apatow, Rogen, and Goldberg all remain involved in other projects, there seem to be no plans to produce this film soon. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Seth Rogen Talks New Projects|pages=|publisher=Worst Previews|date=2007-12-12|url=http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=6889|accessdate=2008-07-05]

*"Pure Imagination" - Columbia Pictures - This is another project that Jonah Hill had written as a vehicle for himself. The plot would revolve around Hill's character developing a relationship with an imaginary woman after a traumatic experience. At one point, Harold Ramis was attached to direct, but the project seems to currently be inactive. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Jonah Hill has Pure Imagination|pages=|publisher=Total Film|date=2007-07-11|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/movie_news/jonah_hill_has_pure_imagination|accessdate=2008-07-05]

*"Attorneys at Raw" - Universal Studios - This project was announced in 2007, and was to star and be written by David Krumholtz. However, the project seems to be inactive as no new announcements have been made since the initial one. The plot centered on two rappers who become lawyers, and Krumholtz had indicated his intent to have Seth Rogen co-star with him. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title='Numbers' Star Counts Two Apatow Features|pages=|publisher=MTV|date=2007-04-05|url=http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-krumholtzapatowmovies,0,3908589.story|accessdate=2008-07-03]

*"A Whole New Hugh" - Universal Studios - The pitch for this project was bought by Universal in 2007, when the project was announced. However, the project seems to be inactive as no new announcements have been made since the pitch was bought. The film would have starred Ed Helms as a man whose two friends try to raise his confidence by making him seem like a success. The screenplay was written by Ed Helms, Jake Fleischer, and Ian Berger. [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Helms, Apatow Team for 'New Hugh"|pages=|publisher=Zap2it.com|date=2007-04-10|url=http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-helmswholenewhughcasting,0,3524613.story|accessdate=2008-07-03]

References

External links

*imdb company|0073081|Apatow Productions