You can’t take us anywhere.

Gross-out humor, shrill women, and Paul Rudd.

We’ll give you some time to mull it over.

That’s just one of the scenes on display in this red-band featurette for This Is 40, starring Mann and Paul Rudd as their characters from Knocked Up. The film explores the ups and downs of marriage, parenthood, and sex after your body has decided to destroy you. Enjoy them while they last, Megan Fox (and everyone who likes to look at Megan Fox).

Their calls to the other side have been heard. And rejected.

EW asked co-creator Judd Apatow about the likelihood of a movie, but it seems that he doesn’t want to go there.

“I love the question mark at the end of the series, so I never want to know more than that. It is the reason why you don’t want to find out what happened, like when they got off the bus in The Graduate.”

Paul Feig also crushes us, adding additional pressure onto the creators of Party Down.  ”I mean it could be great, but if it’s anything less than great, then it just waters down the memory of the rest of the show. For some reason that becomes the last thing you’ve done, and I always feel like if you don’t get it right it erases the memory of what came before it. But I don’t know. If we came up with a great idea, who knows?”

So, there is hope?! Thank God those kids haven’t grown out of their awkward phases yet!

The Judd Apatow produced film (directed by David Wain) tells the story of a couple from New York who flee the city in search of something more. What they end up finding is a commune full of promiscuous hippies. Compare that to what the travelers found in The Hills Have Eyes, and I think it’s safe to say the Wanderlust characters really lucked out.

It’s Apatow and HBO, so the trailer more than hints at some comical raunchiness, but there seems to be some underlying charm courtesy of the creator and star of the show, Lena Dunham. Her sensibilities offer an endearing optimism as the characters repeatedly get kicked by many aspects of life.

The show premieres in April, one of seemingly dozens of new shows from the network, but I expect this to stand out and transcend gender in a way that Sex and the City never could.

Giovanni Ribisi has landed a co-starring role in Ruben Fleischer‘s The Gangster Squad. He’ll play a wire-tapping expert who’s demoted after his loose cannon wire-tapping practices land him in hot water. Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin then decide he’s perfect for their ragtag group of misfit cops. (Deadline)

6 photosAlexandra Daddario

Alexandra Daddario is going to have a terrible time in Texas. She’s joined The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D as a girl named Heather who travels to Texas with her friends to collect an inheritance. “The spin? What would you do if you found out your cousin was Leatherface, and he was now YOURS?” Well, for starters, I’d take away his fucking chainsaw. (Variety and Bloody Disgusting)

Judd Apatow had long ago established that he liked to draw from a pool of actors that he uses regularly, but it would appear that now he’s willing to up the ante and use the same characters between movies, cause, why half-ass it?

In Apatow’s latest effort, Charlene Yi Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann will all reprise their Knocked Up roles, while Apatow recruits familiar face Chris O’Dowd (the Bridesmaids cop), Wyatt Russell, and Lena Dunham to play original characters in the story. Both O’Down and Dunham will play Rudd’s employees at his indie record label.

Those announcements follow the news that Albert Brooks and Megan Fox are also joining the project, with Brooks playing Rudd’s father and Fox playing some sort of hot girl.

There currently is no logline on the film, but since it’s Apatow, I think we can rule out “sci-fi epic” and “WWI historical drama.” (Variety)

After Bridesmaids’ monster take at the box office this May, Universal has reunited director Paul Feig and producer/director/writer/man-child Judd Apatow by purchasing a pitch from their camp. Of course, the studio refuses to deliver the log line, but Deadline informs us it’s an “unconventional love story and is something Feig has been working on for awhile.” Wow! Consider my appetite whetted!

This duo has worked together since “Freaks and Geeks” way back in the 1990′s, and their bodies of work, both individually and as a team are pretty solid, so get excited about this project, if only because this reunion might mean an original new comedy from two bright minds, as opposed to a stale retread, similar to that other May release.

Dakota Johnson, the hot girl who didn’t realize she slept with the Napster guy in The Social Network, has been cast in three movies:

- She’s currently filming Goats, which is directed by Christopher Neil and stars David Duchovny. It’s about a teen from Tuscon who leaves home to go to an East Coast prep school. Johnson will play: some character.

- From there, Johnson will act in Five Year Engagement, which is directed by Nicholas Stoller, produced by Judd Apatow and stars Jason Segel. It’s about a newlywed couple who go through ups and downs. Johnson will play: one of the characters in the movie.

- Finally, Johnson will join the cast of 21 Jump Street, which is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and stars Jonah Hill. It’s about young-looking cops who go undercover as teens, in a remake of the 80s TV drama. Johnson will play: a girl rock star who gets recruited by Secret NASA to fight aliens. Okay, ya got me. She’s playing some other kind of character entirely. (Variety)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey

Synopsis: A comedy centered on two women battling to plan their friend’s wedding party.

Release Date: May 13, 2011

Do Gooders is a pitch by screenwriters Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck (“King of the Hill”), which would be produced by Apatow Productions. Though details are under wraps, it’s supposedly about “actors with caring hearts keen to help those in need.” Judging by the title and that description, I’m expecting the comedy to poke fun at actor/philanthropist/better-than-you’s like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Speaking of, I don’t think they’ve adopted a would-otherwise-be-poor Cambodian baby in awhile. They’re slacking off…

The pitch is not intended for Apatow to direct. (Hollywood Reporter)

Brooks may join the cast of the Knocked Up spin-off, playing Paul Rudd‘s dad. He’s currently in negotiations for the part, which I assume includes a lot of sad puppy dog faces from the Brooks camp. Apatow has a reputation for insular casting, but today the floodgates are open. Earlier, we found out Megan Fox is also in negotiations for a role. Any celebrity who wants a job better call Apatow right now, while he’s generous. Does Gilbert Gottfried have Apatow’s number?

The film doesn’t have a title, but it does have a release date of June 1st, 2012. (FirstShowing)

The project, which will probably feature 4 or 5 dudes sitting around a room making pop culture references, is a spin-off of 2007′s Knocked Up, and will be about Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann‘s characters from that film. The role that Fox would be playing is being kept a secret – I’m guessing it will either be a nuclear physicist, a lesbian double-amputee, or James Franco. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

It opens funny with Annie (Kristin Wiig) having outrageous sex with Ted (Jon Hamm). Annie speaks in the stream of consciousness rambling that Wiig peppers with humor each time she adds a phrase. Once her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged, it becomes the typical wedding movie.

All the other bridesmaids are contrived one-dimensional types. Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey) complains about her obnoxious sons and husband.  Becca (Ellie Kemper) is the lovey dovey newlywed. Megan is a butch type. Helen (Rose Byrne) is just so perfect it drives Annie crazy.

Wiig pretty much stops doing the Kristin Wiig thing in order to serve a generic, clichéd plot. She does a dance when Officer Rhodes pulls her over but stops the random phrases and tones down the physicality, so you don’t get a Kristin Wiig movie after all.

The big problem with the premise is that jealousy is not funny. Helen outshines Annie’s wedding plans and the film follows the same plot as all “outrageous wedding” movies. At the engagement toast, the dress fittings, the bachelorette party and bridal shower, Helen comes up with crazy plans that take over Annie’s sincere ones.

Helen’s manipulative usurping isn’t funny though. She has connections to a fancy dress shop. She wants to take the girls to Las Vegas. She has a fancy mansion with a fondue fountain. The only joke is that Annie is insecure that Helen’s more superficially impressive than she is.

Bridesmaids might coast if it was just generic, but it drags out so long it forces you to work it out. Directo Paul Feig said that “work print” only meant they had color timing and sound issues to polish. He should really consider taking 30 minutes out, because there’s so much plot. At a certain point you realize while Annie’s working out her relationship with Office Rhodes, hey, they still have to have a wedding to wrap this sucker up.

I like Kristin Wiig a lot. I think her physicality is phenomenal and her attitude is sweet. She doesn’t seem to make jokes at anyone’s expense. She just enjoys being silly. Bridesmaids doesn’t feel like her, and she wrote it herself!

And that’s about all he said. As he began to give away too much information, he added, “But I don’t know if I should talk about what it is.”

Oh, come on, man. We’re not going to steal it. Whatever.

At least he gave up some info about House Of Joel, the horror comedy he was working on with Judd Apatow. Though he doesn’t know exactly where the project is at, he gave some details about the plot:

“I play a guy who finds out that his girlfriend was basically a Laurie Strode-type [Jamie Lee Curtis' character] from Halloween. She’s been hiding the fact that 15 years ago she survived this horrible night and the way I find this out is that I inadvertently take her back to her home town as a surprise and reawaken all the evil. It’s kind of about getting over your girlfriend’s past kinda thing. It’s sort of like having to deal with, ‘You did what!?’”

That’s exactly why I never surprise my girlfriend. That and thoughtlessness. (The Playlist)

It’s no surprise to me that Pratt’s been cast in producer Judd Apatow‘s latest film, Five-Year Engagement. Directed by Nick Stoller, Five-Year is about the roller-coaster relationship between characters played by Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. Sounds very Apatowish to me. It’s reassuring to know that there’s another schlubby, bearded comedian who can pinch hit for Seth Rogen. Allison Brie (“Community”) was also recently cast, so we now know what Apatow watches on Thursday nights. All the sitcoms on CBS, America’s Most Watched Network.

Meanwhile, Rhys Ifans (Greenberg) is in talks to play a role. Hopefully it’ll be the same role he’s playing in The Amazing Spider-Man: The Lizard. It’d be nice if Apatow changed things up a bit, and if The Lizard was in just one of his movies. Just one. I’m sure The Lizard would like to get high and discuss his feelings with other dudes too. (The Playlist)

The small red carpet, only five reporters after the photo pit, offered a chance to get intimate with Apatow. The charity story revealed some of his humble beginnings in comedy. Then it was onto the big news of the new Pee-Wee Herman movie he’s producing, the Knocked Up spinoff he’s writing and directing, and the Oscars which were still fresh news the next day.

Q: We’re not aware of your involvement with Venice Family Clinics so could you tell us what you do with them?

JA: Well, I’ve known about Venice Family Clinics for a long time. The first job I ever had, I worked for Comic Relief when I was 17 years old. I worked there for about five years raising money for the homeless. That was my first job in show business. There was a great man there named Dennis Albaugh who sadly is no longer with us, but he was in charge of how they gave out the money that Comic Relief earned. He taught me about giving and charity and said, “You have to be a good person and take care of your community.” Every year he gave me a list of charities he thought I should support. Venice Family Clinic was one of the first charities he encouraged me to get behind. I’ve been doing it for a long time.

Q: One of the film projects we’re really excited you’re involved with is the new Pee-Wee Herman movie. What will be classic Pee-Wee and what is new about it?

JA: It’s a little early in the process to know. He only made two movies so there’s a lot of open ground for Pee-Wee. It is many years later so there are different stories to tell.

Q: Does it pick up with everything Pee-Wee on Paul Reubens has been through in the last 25 years?

JA: No, it exists in its own world but it’s very imaginative. I think that’s one of the best characters of all time for me. It’s like W.C. Fields.

Q: Does it fall in continuity with he’s had a Big Adventure and has been in the circus?

JA: I don’t know. We haven’t talked about that. It’s more like “The Simpsons” where in every episode he grew up in a different decade.

Q: With the spin-off to Knocked Up, why are the Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann characters the right characters for that story, as opposed to starting over with new ones?

JA: People were reall taken by those characters. I think people really emotionally connected to the challenges of their marriage and I thought, you know, they were only a small portion of the movie. I’m a television writer so I always want another episode. I always want another 80 episodes. That’s why after Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we said, “What else can we do with this character Russell Brand has created here?” I felt that way about Pete and Debbie from Knocked Up.

Q: Would you want to include the other main characters from Knocked Up and make them cameos?

JA: I’m trying to figure out how to do that. A lot of it just depends on people’s availabilities and the story I’m trying to tell, who fits into that story. There definitely will be other people from Knocked Up in the movie.

Q: Would you be open to reaching out to Katherine Heigl?

JA: Well, I’m not writing it to be a story about Seth and Katherine’s characters. It’s really about where Pete and Debbie are five years later.

Q: But even as a “no hard feelings” cameo?

JA: Uh, I don’t know. It’s too early to know.

Q: What did you think of James Franco last night?

JA: I thought he did a really good job. He’s really a charming guy and they don’t give the hosts that much to do because the show is so long. They seem to be obsessed with keeping it to three hours. When I was a kid it would go 4:15 and I miss it because when you tighten it up, you lose a lot of the spontaneity of the show. It was nice when Johnny Carson could really talk when he came on stage and I really miss the lifetime achievement awards. I think it’s a crime that they don’t put that on the main show. I’m much more interested in seeing Francis Ford Coppola speak than many of the awards. So I would add another hour.

Q: It seemed like they even cut some of the host’s humor and downplayed that.

JA: No, I think as soon as the show starts, they’re already cutting things out to try to end it before the local news. That’s no fun. You have to let people blabber on a little bit. That’s what we want.

“It’s spinning off right now, as we speak,” Apatow told me outside the fancy shmanz Vanity Fair Oscar party Sunday night.

“We’re in rehearsals,” Mann said, adding that her character and Rudd’s character will be seen at a different place in their marriage than in “Knocked Up.”

“We’re really happy now,” she said. “Pete and Debbie are really happy.”

It’s too early in the game to give up plot or additional casting info, but Apatow noted that some familiar faces will be appearing in the film. He also mentioned an actor he’d love to bring in to the fold.

“I’m going to hit on Colin Firth tonight and see if he can play the weird neighbor,” Apatow said. “I think he might do it.”

Seems like he’s only kidding around but I’d love to see Firth cast as the weird neighbor. We already know he can do the requisite stutter.

Judd Apatow’s first foray into “you go, girl!,” comedy Bridesmaids has its first trailer and it looks… okay. Kristen Wiig has proven her comedic chops with her roles in The 40-Year Old Virgin and MacGruber and by making repetitive noises on “SNL.” I’m happy to see her stepping into the lead.

The supporting cast looks funny too. You’ve got the fat one, the neurotic one, the horny one, and the bitch. Just like at your office. More importantly though, this trailer features what every trailer should — tuxedo-clad yawning puppies. Can we re-do the DGA Awards?

After Gervais slammed Tim Allen before his entrance, Apatow tweeted, “The Santa Clause was better than The Invention of Lying.” Defensive much? Later on, Apatow tweeted, “Ricky Gervais should do an episode of ‘extras’ where he hosts ‘the golden globes‘ and is out of tune. Cut to female friend looking disappointed.” Then he asked his followers to write kinder, less cruel jokes for his hosting gig at the “Producers Guild Awards,” and the winning entries will be read on stage. Here are a few highlights:

@totallymorgan The PGA Awards are so cheap even the host had to crowd-source material.

@alecowen It’s not hard to be funny and not vicious. For example, fuck you.

@isaac_arquieta Were you all REALLY expecting @JuddApatow to pick funny jokes?? Hasn’t done it in over 5 movies, Why would he start now?

From what I’m hearing, most regular folks seemed to enjoy Gervias’ performance and some tweeted Apatow back statements like, “@JuddApatow seems surprisingly bitter.” Later, Apatow revealed he was tweeting at 2 am. I’ll chalk this up to another case of “sleep before you tweet.” (Collider)

Beyond Apatow’s leanings, it doesn’t sound like he would be the best man for the job, anyway. Apatow has shown to be a comedic goldmine in a lot of different areas, but “whimsy” hasn’t been one of them. His biggest asset in this venture might be the endless parade of A-list talent he could get to parade through the film in cameos. That said, if Seth Rogen reprises the role of Francis, I’m going to chew off my own arm and throw it at the movie screen. It’s nothing personal, Judd, just make sure that Pee-Wee is able to do his own thing and keep the Mr. T cereal on hand. He just burns through that stuff.

The as yet untitled project (Knocked Down? Cocked Up?) won’t hit theaters until June 1st, 2012, so for those of you who were hoping to watch it with your grandma, it’s not looking good. (Coming Soon)

Between “Freaks & Geeks” and “Undeclared,” Judd Apatow launched the careers of Riley Smith, Natasha Melnick, and Jerry Messing. More notably, he also launched the careers of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Martin Starr, Samm Levine, Ben Foster, Busy Phillips, Jay Baruchel, Carla Gallo, and Charlie Hunnam. Now, all those dudes are going to be reunited onstage for PaleyFest 2011.

“The Walking Dead” will also be honored at this year’s festival. But fans of quality television should be most excited about the “Freaks & Geeks” reunion. This historic event marks the first time the cast has been reunited since Judd Apatow‘s last project. (THR)

We have no idea what it’s about or who will be in it, but Judd Apatow‘s next directorial effort will hit theaters June 1, 2012. That leaves him less than 20 months to finish the script and work out scheduling conflicts for Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, Jonah Hill Paul Rudd, Martin Starr, Romany Malco, Elizabeth Banks, Jay Baruchel, and wife, Leslie Mann. Unfortunately the guy from 40-Year-Old Virgin who in real life stabbed his wife to death is unavailable due to his jail sentence. (Deadline)

I used to get pissed off when I’d hear someone say that. First of all, it should be “Sandler’s movies,” not “Sandler movies.” Not that I’m a grammar Nazi, but come on! Second, what‘s not to like?

When pressed, most Sandler haters would reply with something along the lines of “his movies are stupid.” Of course they’re stupid. Most comedies are. But Sandler’s don’t pretend to be anything more. If you want something “intellectual,” go whack off to Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I prefer to laugh.

But after seeing the painfully unfunny trailers for Grown Ups earlier this year, something changed. The previews looked so downright depressing that I began to question my loyalty. That’s when it hit me. I hadn’t seen a Sandler movie in a theater since Punch Drunk Love, and that‘s not even a comedy. To complicate matters, I hadn’t even rented one of his films since then, and the few I’ve caught on cable have been awful. Looking back, it seems there wasn’t even a loyalty for me to question. As it turns out, I would rather whack off to Vicky Cristina Barcelona than sit through The Longest Yard. Jesus Christ! What the hell happened?

The Easy Answer: I Grew Up

I was in high school when Billy Madison came out. Now I’m over 30. I’ve got a wife, 19 kids, and my own reality show on TLC. I’ve become a responsible adult who spends his time working, changing diapers and watching shitty sitcoms (“Modern Family” is my fav). My tastes have matured. The fart jokes I used to find funny now seem childish. I no longer drink Natty Light, and I no longer like Adam Sandler’s films. Case closed.

But wait a minute! That can’t be right. I spend my days writing dick jokes and photoshopping tits onto Steve Buscemi. Just last week, one of my children almost drowned in the bathtub while I was stoned out of my mind watching “Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!” (I defy you to find a more immature show that’s not geared toward children). Hell, I even laughed out loud at Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (A Happy Madison production). In my defense, I was wasted, but so help me God, I still laughed. Clearly, my tastes have not matured to the point where I can no longer appreciate stupid humor. So what the hell happened?

The Easier Answer: Sandler Got Old

I hate to bitch about a guy whose dickhead is more successful than I will ever be. After all, who in the hell am I to judge anyone? Well, right now I’m the guy who’s getting paid $12 to write this article about Adam Sandler, and you can’t write an accurate article about Adam Sandler without acknowledging that almost every comedy he’s made since The Wedding Singer has been a turd. And I don’t think that’s an accident. 

Before The Wedding Singer, Sandler made Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, arguably his funniest films. In fact, some might say they were his only truly funny movies. Both were filled with juvenile humor, but they also contained some hilariously absurd moments: sniper Steve Buscemi, seemingly dead clown, and the ghost of Abe Lincoln, just to name a few. More importantly, in both films, Sandler plays a character who, for lack of a better word, is an asshole. That’s not to say the characters weren’t likeable, but Billy and Happy were rude, selfish pricks. At the end of the film, they may have gotten the girl and shown minimal signs of self improvement, but they were still assholes, and that’s why we liked them.

Then came The Wedding Singer (we’ll go ahead and forget about Bulletproof). In the film, Sandler played a character who was a genuinely nice guy, not an obnoxious man-child. The role allowed him to branch out beyond his typical young-male audience and achieve mainstream success. I remember being slightly horrified upon hearing my mother talk about how much she liked the Adam Sandler movie she saw during a plane ride to visit my grandma. But she was right. It was a decent movie that could appeal to both young men and middle-aged women.

From that point on, you can see a dramatic shift in Sandler’s films. Sure, from time to time he’d still play a goofball character (Little Nicky, The Waterboy) or an asshole (Anger Management). But for the most part, Sandler’s movies have tried to appeal to women and, or families: 50 First Dates, Click, Big Daddy, etc. Even his character in Mr. Deeds was an all around nice-guy rube rather than a bull-headed prick. After The Wedding Singer, his core audience of childish douche bags was forced into the background in the name of box office returns. While the move has proved extremely profitable, the resulting films have been shit.

When it comes to comedies, critical reception can often be ignored. But when 50 First Dates is one of your highest rated films on Rotten Tomatoes (44% positive), there’s a problem. Friggen MacGruber (48%) has a better rating than Grown Ups (9%) Chuck and Larry (14%) and Bedtime Stories (24%) combined. Yeah, MacGruber! And yes, Funny People (67%) is the exception, but you could stick Larry the Cable Guy in an Apatow film and it would at least clear 50%.

So Did I Grow Up, or Did He Grow Old?
While the real answer is probably somewhere in between, the negative reception of Sandler’s films is due mostly to the fact that Sandler turned away from his core audience. Sure, the juvenile humor is still there, but rather than pushing it to the absurd, it gets tapered with romantic comedy clichés and forced family fun.

If anything, nostalgia caused people, myself included, to defend his films as they became more and more indefensible. The fact that Sandler himself seems to be a genuinely nice guy who takes care of his friends (Rob Schneider) only adds to his likeability. That’s why it’s nice to see him show up in a decent movie like Funny People. But anyone who claims that his waning popularity is simply a matter of his audience getting older is missing the point. Most of us would still pay to see something as stupid and childish as Billy Madison, as long as it was funny. But just because we’ve grown up doesn’t mean we’ll sit through f*cking Grown Ups.

^{Hey Jeffrey Jones, I know you are, but what am I!}

Pee-Wee Herman (ak Paul Reubens) has at least one last big adventure left in him now that director Judd Apatow has announced he will produce the character’s return to the big screen. The news comes nearly 20 years after an unfortunate incident involving a porno theater and his own wiener left Reubens a Hollywood pariah, all but killing the Pee-Wee character. Luckily for Reubens, society has finally devolved to the point where wanking off in a seedy porno theater no longer precludes one from being a children’s entertainer.

"Let’s face it," says Apatow, "the world needs more Pee-Wee Herman I am so excited to be working with Paul Reubens, who is an extraordinary and ground-breaking actor and writer. It’s so great to watch him return with such relevance."

I agree. We need more Pee-Wee. But relevance? I’m not sure feeding off of pathetic Gen-X nostalgia counts as relevance. Unless, of course, making boatloads of cash is the same as being relevant, in which case Pee-Wee is about to become one relevant mofo. (Empire Online)

_{You got a problem, Judd?}

Leslie Mann is taking a Business Trip. The italics mean that’s the title of a movie in which I’m slyly reporting she is attached to star. Actresses don’t go on business trips, you guys. Unless they’re also an entrepreneur of some sort. But that isn’t the case in this instance.

Mann’s husband, super-producer Judd Apatow, will super-produce the film about "three women who go on a corporate trip but wind up doing anything but business while on company time." Yep. Drugs and sex. With their girl parts, which I hear from my older brother are pretty awesome. Or so he heard. (Vulture)

Shocking news! Jennifer Aniston has decided to break the mold and step out of her comfort zone by taking on a role in a romantic comedy. Wanderlust, which was acquired by Universal Pictures, will be produced by Judd Apatow and will costar Apatow regular Paul Rudd.

Aniston and Rudd will play a married couple trying to escape the trappings of the city life for a counterculture existence.

Sounds amazing!

As if one groundbreaking role wasn’t enough, Aniston has also signed on to star in New Line Cinema’s Horrible Bosses, which is no doubt a dark psychological thriller. Either that, or another sh*tty comedy. (Deadline)