An Apatow or Rogen Update

It feels like it's been frickin' years since I posted something about Judd Apatow, or even Seth Rogen. Obviously, I've been a bit pre-occupied so, in a Steve Martin voice, excuse me!

Here's a look at some of the five best bits in a movie that was either produced or directed by Judd Apatow. The movies include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, and a mere reference to the ending song sequence in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

In 2009, we shall see Funny People and Year One get box office release dates.

Last Tuesday, Judd Apatow hosted an event that will be featured in Funny People.

Speaking of 2009, what about those blockbusters? Just a brief disclaimer that Alvin actually was released at the end of 2007.

Fox's holiday 2006 smashes Night At The Museum ($575m worldwide) and Alvin And The Chipmunks ($360m worldwide) both have sequels in 2009. Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian sees Amy Adams join Ben Stiller and company in a new city and new museum on May 22, while Alvin And The Chipmunks - The Squeakuel arrives in theatres with a new director (Betty Thomas) but the same human star (Jason Lee) on Christmas Day.[...]

The comedies lined up for release in 2009 see some tasty talent teaming up, and should build on comedies' current market share.

Take Judd Apatow's next film, Funny People, which is set for release by Universal on July 31. Set in the world of stand-up, it features Apatow regulars Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann (aka Mrs Apatow) and Jonah Hill alongside Adam Sandler and Eric Bana. Apatow also produced ancient-world comedy The Year One with Jack Black and Michael Cera (Sony, June 19), while Rogen teams up with newcomer Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way) on Observe And Report (Warner Bros, April 10).

Romantic comedy pairings are plentiful - from Sandra Bullock and Thomas Haden Church in All About Steve (Fox, March 6), to Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal (Disney, June 12), Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner in The Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (Warner Bros, May 1) and Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth (Sony, April 3).

Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker have an untitled comedy at Sony (December 25), while a slew of stars including Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore and Ben Affleck try to understand romance in He's Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros, February 6).

Other star vehicles include Eddie Murphy in family comedy Imagine That (Paramount, June 12), Dwayne Johnson as The Tooth Fairy (Fox, November 13), John Travolta and Robin Williams in Old Dogs (Disney, November 27), Zac Efron as a young Matthew Perry in Warner's story about a man reliving his youth in 17 Again (April 17), John Hamburg's I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel (Paramount, March 20), and Isla Fisher in PJ Hogan's Confessions Of A Shopaholic (Disney, February 13).

Meryl Streep has two major comedies in 2009: in Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia (Sony, August 7) she plays a celebrity cook, and at Christmas she teams with Nancy Meyers for an untitled film in which Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin vie for her attention. Mamma Mia, indeed.

Don't forget Fanboys, due out on February 6.

The long delayed Fanboys will arrive in theaters February 6 and the first clip is now online, courtesy of Trailer Addict. The comedy, which follows a group of Star Wars fans as they travel to Skywalker Ranch to steal an early copy of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, stars Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Carrie Fisher, Ray Park, Joe Lo Truglio, Danny Trejo, Billy Dee Williams, Seth Rogen, Christopher McDonald and William Shatner.

To give you an idea of how long the flick has been sitting on the shelf – Seth Rogen filmed his Fanboys role before Knocked Up, Superbad and Pineapple Express.

Well, there you have it.