Marisa Tomei Joins Judd Apatow's Untitled Comedy Starring Pete Davidson

There are few things that interest me less than a semi-autobiographical comedy starring Pete Davidson, but one way to change my mind is adding Oscar winner Marisa Tomei. THR reports the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress will star in Davidson's untitled film directed and co-written by Judd Apatow.

Tomei will play Davidson's mother in what is being called a semi-autobiographical story of Davidson's life growing up on Staten Island, New York.” Davidson's father died on 9/11, which had a major influence on his worldview and was then used to fuel his stand up comedy routines at the age of 16. At the age of 20 he became one of the youngest to ever join the cast of Saturday Night Live. The film's script was co-written by Davidson, Apatow, and Dave Sirius. Others cast in the film include Bel Powley and comedian Bill Bur.

Filming on Davidson and Apatow's untitled film is underway. Next up for Tomei is a return as Aunt May in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

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Pee-Wee Hits The Road In New 'Pee-Wee's Big Holiday' Trailer

Pee-wee Herman's about to hit the road again, for the first time since Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Okay, that's not exactly true. There was unfortunate sequel, Big Top Pee-wee, but the less said about that the better, unless we're talking about how hot Valeria Golino was. Netflix is bringing Pee-wee back for the Judd Apatow-produced Pee-wee's Big Holiday, and there's now a full trailer for the nostalgic road trip comedy.

Co-starring Joe Manganiello and Alia Shawkat with John Lee directing, the film finds Pee-wee making a new friend, and going on a holiday getaway with him. It's pretty simple in premise, but when you think about it so was Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and that had no shortage of wacky things happening on a regular basis. Here's the official synopsis:

The new film stars the beloved fun-loving hero of TV, stage and film, Pee-wee Herman. In Pee-wee's Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny. The film stars Pee-wee Herman, Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike XXL), Jessica Pohly (Stalker), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) and Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and was directed by John Lee (Wonder Showzen, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday). Paul Reubens and Paul Rust (Love, Arrested Development) wrote the film, that was produced by Reubens and Judd Apatow (Trainwreck, Bridesmaids).

Pee-wee's Big Holiday hits Netflix on March 18th.

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Teaser For Judd Apatow's Netflix Comedy 'Love' With Paul Rust And Gillian Jacobs

I don't watch a ton of TV that doesn't involve clotheslines, suplexes, and piledrivers, but a few shows have stuck with me over the years. One is Judd Apatow's Undeclared, which I think is much better than Freaks & Geeks or anything else he did on the small screen. Minority opinion, certainly, but that's okay. It does get me excited to see his next foray into TV with Love, a Netflix comedy series starring Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs.

The series' first teaser has been released and it doesn't offer any footage, just a flurry of phrases that can be applied to some relationships, and some that are not so likely to be heard. Here's the official synopsis:

Created, written and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin, Love follows nice guy Gus (Rust) and brazen wild-child Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment, love and other things they were hoping to avoid. Love is an unflinching, hilarious and excruciatingly honest take on modern relationships. Brent Forrester and Dean Holland also serve as executive producers of Love.

Rust is part of the Apatow clique along with Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and those guys but he hasn't really taken off the way they have. His first major film role was in I Love You, Beth Cooper (overshadowed by Hayden Panatierre), followed by a part in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds (overshadowed by everyone), but he's been busy on everything from Funny People to Bob's Burgers. He's mostly been busy as a writer and worked on the script for Pee-Wee Herman's upcoming Netflix special. Jacobs is best known for NBC's Community, but she was great during her brief stint on HBO's Girls, which Apatow exec-produces.

All 10 episodes of Love hit Netflix on February 19th.

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Review: Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck' Starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, LeBron James, and More

If there's any doubt that raunchy, boundary-destroying comedienne Amy Schumer is Hollywood's next big thing, Trainwreck should put all of it to rest. In her first major feature role, Schumer wrote herself a character that retains the edgy style of humor fans expect, softened just enough with the kind of heart that will make others love her for completely different reasons. And seen through the lens of director Judd Apatow, who typically tells this kind of story with slovenly male protagonists, Trainwreck is a welcome breath of fresh air and the emergence of a brilliant new voice.

Well, let's say it's the emergence of multiple comic voices, because co-stars LeBron James and WWE poster boy John Cena are just as good in much smaller roles. Schumer plays Amy, a hard-partying, hard-drinking sexual dynamo with no need for commitment whatsoever. It's a lesson learned early from her father (Colin Quinn), who taught Amy and her sister (Brie Larson) that monogamy is a fantasy. Amy took the lesson to heart, while she's grown to resent her sibling who has settled into quiet married life with a husband and stepchild.  She treats sex like an Olympic sport, racing through as many guys as possible, which comes as a surprise to her muscled, lunk-head boyfriend (Cena) who mistakenly believes they're in a committed relationship. Oops. Cena, who is basically the boy scout of the WWE, takes that role to a new level here. His character's so squeaky clean (or possibly homosexual) that his dirty talk consists of overused sports slogans: "There's no 'I' in 'Team'"! 

Meanwhile it's James, playing a hilariously sensitive, penny-pinching version of himself, who plays best buds with famed sports doctor Aaron Chambers (Bill Hader), the man Amy is tasked with writing a fluff magazine article about. She writes for sleazy dude rag S'Nuff, led by a nasty, dispassionate editor played by an unrecognizably British Tilda Swinton. Aaron is nothing like the other guys she sleeps with, but after a late night fling that surprises them both (Aaron's reaction upon learning she's coming to his house for sex is priceless), Amy begins to get that loving feeling, something she's not at all comfortable with. 

Schumer's modus operandi is flipping the script on clichés, and Trainwreck finds her taking this gift to a different level. In some of the film's best interactions, Amy and a co-worker express the same relationship phobia we see guys have on a regular basis. Other than her total aversion to sports (her favorite team is the "Orlando Blooms"), Amy is a total dude; she's messy, awkward, terrible at expressing her deepest feelings, and we see that play out in some wonderful shared moments with Aaron and her sister. While Schumer's style blends perfectly with Apatow's own sensibilities, what really makes Trainwreck great are the performances. Schumer isn't like your typical stand-up comedian learning how to act in front of the camera. She's a trained performer with a background in stage acting, and it leads to some wonderfully touching scenes with deep emotional impact. One involves the loss of a major figure in Amy's life, and another in an argument between Amy and Aaron that stretches through the night and wrecks them both. 

There's very little that Schumer gets wrong here. She even manages to tone down some of Apatow's exhausting, long-winded tendencies, perhaps because the script is hers and not his. They balance one another out beautifully, making Trainwreck easily Apatow's best film since Knocked Up, and easily the funniest movie of the year so far. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

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New Trailer and Clip for Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck' starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, and LeBron James

Amy Schumer's raunchy, in-your-face comic style has won her legions of fans on the small screen with the Comedy Central series, Inside Amy Schumer. The way she skewers Hollywood, skewers men, skewers social constructs, skewers everything really, is not only brilliant but hilarious. Will it transfer over to the big screen, though? Judd Apatow is banking on it, which is why she's at the lead of his new film, Trainwreck.

Schumer stars as a relationship-phobic woman who indulges in way too much booze and sex. But all of that changes when she's assigned to do a story on a sports doctor played by Bill Hader, and he turns out to be the sweetest guy she's ever met. Soon they're hanging out, and while he's pretty upfront about his growing affection for her, she's gripped by the fear of actually falling in love. The latest international trailer keeps the laughs coming while also showing off the surprising comedic skills of LeBron James and WWE superstar John Cena.

Early reviews out of SXSW have been incredibly strong, arguably the best Apatow has received in years. Also starring Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, Colin Quinn, Barkhad Abdi, Ezra Miller, Mike Birbiglia and many more, Trainwreck opens July 17th.  Check out the trailer plus a new clip below.

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Arielle Holmes Joins 'American Honey'; Leslie Mann Exits Comedy 'Bad Moms'

Rising star Arielle Holmes has joined Shia LaBeouf in American Honey, the latest film from Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights director, Andrea Arnold. The film centers on a runaway teenage girl who joins a traveling magazine sales crew and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard-partying, law-bending and young love. Holmes recently starred in the award-winning drama Heaven Knows What (opening in DC this weekend), and her chance discovery for that film mirrors, in some small way, Arnold's discovery of Katie Jarvis years ago. So this could turn out to be an unforgettable collaboration. Production on the film is already underway. [Deadline]

Only last month Leslie Mann was set for her first truly headlining role in Bad Moms, a comedy produced by her husband Judd Apatow and directed by The Hangover writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore. Well, you can forget that. Deadline says Mann and Apatow have now departed the project because it couldn't fit into their tight schedule. So now the search is on for a new star with the summer start date still in place. The story follows an "overworked and exhausted mother who joins forces with two other “bad moms” to challenge the helicopter parents that rule over their kids’ school."

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Leslie Mann to Headline Comedy Produced by Judd Apatow

Leslie Mann has stolen scenes in just about every one of her husband Judd Apatow's comedies, so what's taking so long for her to get a solo film? Apatow's This is 40 came close, but she's never really been THE star until now as Deadline reports she'll star in an untitled comedy produced by Apatow.

The film will be written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who wrote The Hangover but also directed the terrible teen comedy 21 & Over. There isn't really anything on the plot just yet but Mann called it a "funny and heartfelt script about women and the challenges of motherhood." Sounds right up her alley.

Mann will be seen next in the Vacation reboot opposite Ed Helms.

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Pee-Wee Herman is Headed to Netflix with 'Pee-Wee's Big Holiday'

Time to pull Chairy out of storage and put on your favorite bowtie because Pee-Wee Herman is officially making his way to Netflix. The streaming service has announced it will be the exclusive home for Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, a feature film produced by Judd Apatow that is has been in the works off-and-on since it was first revealed in 2010. A deal with Netflix has been on the table since late last year.

Reubens co-wrote the film with Paul Rust (I Love You Beth Cooper), and John Lee will be making his directorial debut. In what sounds like a fitting sequel to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (and hopefully better than Big Top Pee-Wee), the story begins when "a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny."

No word on when it will debut but production on Pee-Wee's Big Holiday begins soon. 

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Amy Schumer is a 'Trainwreck' in Trailer for Judd Apatow's New Comedy with Bill Hader, John Cena, and More

Has Hollywood found its next big female comedian in Amy Schumer? Her Comedy Central series, Inside Amy Schumer, is a pretty good introduction to the foul-mouthed actress, but for many their first exposure will be in Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy, Trainwreck, and the hilarious new trailer for it has arrived.

Penned by Schumer, she plays a woman with a chronic aversion to serious relationships thanks to some questionable parenting. Now she just parties and hooks up with as many random dudes as possible, until her job as a magazine writer puts her in touch with a handsome sports doctor (Bill Hader) who becomes something more than just a one night stand.

This trailer is very funny and doesn't look anything like Apatow's previous films. The supporting cast is spectacular, too, but it's surprising to see just how central Lebron James and WWE superstar John Cena seem to be. They aren't bad, mind you; in fact they fit right in alongside Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, and Brie Larson who also make appearances.

Trainwreck leaves the station on July 17th.

Here is the trailer for @TrainwreckMovie #Trainwreck We are very proud. I hope you like it https://t.co/Sla2xMbGw2
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) February 11, 2015

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Pee-Wee Herman's Next Adventure Headed to Netflix

A new Pee-Wee Herman film has been in the works for years, with Paul Reubens talking it up at various points along the way. But none of it amounted to much until Judd Apatow caught wind of his most recent stand-up act featuring the beloved juvenile character who appeared in two movies: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and the awful sequel Big Top Pee-Wee. Apatow came on board to produce this latest film, but now five years later it finally seems to be moving forward and headed straight to Netflix.

According to The Wrap, Pee-Wee's next big screen adventure is very close to being distributed by Netflix , adding to their growing brand as a destination for major movie releases. Over the last year they've struck a 4-picture deal with Adam Sandler and also secured release of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel.  It's unclear if the Pee-Wee film will be an exclusive, but that seems likely given their recent acquisitions.

What's also a mystery is the plot and who will direct. Apatow is merely on board to produce, while Reubens is saying a director is in place. He co-wrote the script with Paul Rust, a writer on Arrested Development and star of I Love You, Beth Cooper. Filming on the next Pee-Wee Herman movie could begin in 2015.

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The Lonely Island Movie in the Works Produced by Judd Apatow

If you dug comedy troupe The Lonely Island's music videos "Dick in a Box", "Like a Boss", "Lazy Sunday" then today is your lucky day. Universal has picked up an untitled project from the trio comprised of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer which should combine their musical and comedic skills in a feature film.

THR reports the that all three members will star in the film with Taccone and Schaffer co-directing. Judd Apatow is on board to produce and the story is said to take place "in the music world", which should leave the door open to the guys reprising characters from their previous hits. The trio have had much greater success making music than making movies. They collaborated on the 2007 comedy Hot Rod, which nobody saw and was pretty terrible. Schaffer directed that one and also went on to helm the equally unfunny The Watch with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Taccone last directed box office dud-turned-cult favorite MacGruber.

Samberg currently stars in the Fox sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine and chances are production on The Lonely Island movie wouldn't begin until next year at the earliest.

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Tilda Swinton, Barkhad Abdi, John Cena, and More join Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck'

Details on Judd Apatow's next comedy, Trainwreck, have been relatively quiet up to this point. One thing we do know for sure is that it's going to feature the oddest assemblage of talent he's ever put together, but it also makes it potentially the most interesting film he's had in awhile.

Tilda Swinton has come aboard Trainwreck, which stars comedian Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, and Brie Larson. That would be enough to put this on a lot of radars, but also in talks to join are WWE superstar John Cena, Captain Phillips' Barkhad Abdi, Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me), Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), SNL's Vanessa Byer, and Jon Glaser (Girls). What the heck kind of story could ask for an oddball assortment such as this? All we know is that Schumer is playing a basketcase trying to get her life together.  John Cena acting opposite Tilda Swinton could be worth the price of admission alone.

Trainwreck opens July 24th 2015.

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Brie Larson Joins Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck'

Although she's long been a favorite as a supporting player, proving herself in films like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and 21 Jump Street, 2013 was the year Brie Larson really came out of her shell. With an Oscar-worthy performance in Short Term 12 under her belt (could we replace Meryl Streep, please?) plus notable appearances in The Spectacular Now and Don Jon, Larson is no longer on the rise, she's already arrived. And now her next move will have her joining Judd Apatow for his latest comedy.

Variety reports that Larson is in talks for Trainwreck, which we will know will star comedian Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Not much is known about the plot except that it was written by Schumer and may center on a basket case trying to get her life together.  We know that a boyfriend character needed to be cast, and that was likely taken by Hader, but there was also a best friend role that may be the part for Larson. After a couple of dramas it'l be good to see her back showing her obvious comedic skills.

Larson is currently filming The Gambler opposite Mark Wahlberg, and will star in The Good Luck of Right Now based on the Matthew Quick book. Trainwreck opens on July 24th 2015.

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Judd Apatow to Direct Amy Schumer's 'Train Wreck'

As he's done with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow loves to throw his support behind up 'n coming female talent. A few months ago he cast his lot with R-rated comedienne Amy Schumer to produce and co-write a new comedy she would star in , and now it appears he'll take a more active role as director.

THR notes that a casting search is underway for the film, titled Train Wreck, while noting it will be Apatow's next directorial effort. The story will apparently center on a basket case of a woman trying to rebuild her life, and apparently she'll have a boyfriend, best friend, and parent to contend with.

Apatow has been venturing further away from his dude-heavy flicks of late so this move isn't much of a surprise. Hopefully we'll hear more news on this soon.

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Evan Ross Joins 'Mockingjay'; Scott Eastwood in 'Fury'; Judd Apatow Plans Amy Schumer Comedy

* Evan Ross (90210) has joined the cast of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, joining other new additions Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer. He'll play Messalla, who I remember as being part of Katniss' team against the rebellion, but Lionsgate lists him as being the cameraman for Cressida, the chronicler of Katniss' missions. Perhaps they're altering his character for the film, as they've done with others. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens November 21, 2014, with Part 2 opening November 20, 2015.

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Review: 'This is 40' starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann

Are you ready for another peek into the serio-comic life of Judd Apatow? If that sounds like a fun way to spend two hours then This is 40 is certainly the movie for you. We've been given an inside look at his life before, arguably all of his films are his way of reflecting on the various stages of his development(or lack thereof) into a fully formed, adult human being. Cleverly he hid his deepest ruminations under a veil of sophomoric hijinks in The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, but lately he's taken a more serious tenor, and the results have been considerably more mixed.

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'This is 40' Advanced Screening!

Who wasn't a fan of Knocked up? That movie finished what The 40 Year Old Virgin started when it comes to the careers of Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen. I'm sure most of you would agree that one of the best things about Knocked Up was watching the neurosis and hilarity of Debbie and Pete (Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd). This is 40 picks up a bit down the road as the couple are about to round out there thirties and enter the big 4-0. As if this transition wasn't rocky enough we get to add in parental problems, a pre-teen daughter, envy of the young, and financial calamities a plenty!

The screening will be in DC on Monday December 17th at 7PM. To qualify you must be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook and a member of our Google group (subscribe on the right hand side of the page). To enter simply comment on this post with what other side character(s) from a Judd Apatow movie deserve their own spin-off and why. Please be sure you are a member of the Google group or we won't have a way to contact you if you win.

The contest ends Saturday December 15th at 5PM. We will be selecting 50 random winners who will each get one pass good for two people.

Check out the trailer below and make sure to enter now!

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Check out Paul Rudd's butt in new 'This Is 40' red band trailer

So far we've seen Leslie Mann feeling up Megan Fox's boobs, and Jason Segel dry humping Mann while her husband Judd Apatow watched. So what does the red band trailer for This Is 40 have to offer us? A look at Paul Rudd's butt that we probably could have done without.

A new red band trailer for the film has been released, and by red band standards it's pretty tame. The word "dicks" does get used, and there is the aforementioned butt shot, otherwise there's not much here that should send the MPAA to the fainting couch. A quasi-sequel to Knocked Up, it focuses on the continuing relationship problems between Pete and Debbie as they deal with growing older, raising kids, and keeping their marriage exciting. Sound like fun? Without going too much into it, I do feel like this is Apatow's most mature film to date, but is it necessarily his best? Eh, that's a tough call. There is plenty of Megan Fox to look at, and the suggestion that she goes commando, so that's definitely a positive.

This is 40 opens on December 21st.

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Paul Rudd admires Megan Fox's cleavage in new clip from 'This is 40'

It's all but impossible to have Megan Fox in a movie and not have her body become the center of attention. Michael Bay couldn't keep his camera off of her. There was an entire movie, a horror no less, based on her bod's amazing assets. This year we've seen that trend continue, albeit as more of a personification of youth and vitality than as a mere object of lust. She was excellent in this role in the underrated comedy Friends with Kids, and in Judd Apatow's This is 40 she seems to be in much the same position.

Fox plays a character named Desi, who works alongside Pete(Paul Rudd) and obviously has caught the attention of him and his buddy, played by the awesome Robert Smigel. The latest clip from the film shows the two guys admiring Desi in plain view of his wife Debbie(Leslie Mann) and her friend(Annie Mumolo). But is Debbie concerned about it? Eh, not really. Although we do know she'll come to grow quite interested in how spectacular Desi's breasts are. 

This is 40 opens on December 21st. Check out the clip below, followed by the red band featurette where Debbie feels up Desi's cleavage....[AMC]

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*UPDATE* Jason Segel dry humps Leslie Mann in new 'This is 40' featurette; plus a new clip

 *UPDATE* The embeds are now functional, so hit the jump and enjoy!

It's unfortunate that we won't be seeing Seth Rogen of Katherine Heigl's characters turn up in This is 40, the sorta sequel/spinoff of Judd Apatow's Knocked Up. Instead the film focuses squarely on Pete(Paul Rudd) and Debbie(Leslie Mann), the troubled couple who were the sober dose of reality in the previous film, and it appears things have only become more difficult with time. But they aren't they only Knocked Up alums we get to revisit, as Jason Segel's character will be back, and he's still very obsessed with Debbie.

A hilarious new featurette centers on Jason, who is now Debbie's personal trainer. I'd like to have that gig. We get a look at how Segel so easily slips back into the groove of working with Apatow, but the real highlight is the director having to watch his wife get dry humped.

Also there's the first full clip from the film, which features Pete and Debbie having a surprisingly spirited conversation about how they'd kill off one another. Think Fargo.  This is 40 opens on December 21st. The embeds aren't working right now, so hit up HuffPo and Moviefone to check 'em out. We'll put up the vids as soon as they start working. *grumble*

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