It was revealed last year that Judd Apatow was developing a sequel to This Is 40, the “sort-of” sequel to Knocked Up. This Is 50 would catch up with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) in the next stage of their lives, and although the project is still in the works, it appears to have been put on the back burner for now.
While speaking with The Playlist, Judd Apatow said he’s got a new project written and ready to go once the SAG-AFTRA strike concludes. “I wrote a film; I’m just waiting for all these strikes to end to see if they’ll allow me to make it,” Apatow said. “So, my life is in Fran Drescher’s hands. As it’s always been.” He wouldn’t spill any details on the new project, only to say that it would not be This Is 50.
That said, Judd Apatow hasn’t given up on This Is 50. “I have an idea for something [‘This is 50’]… I have an idea for that, so it’s something I’ve been outlining on the side that I would love to do, but right now, it’s all about, ‘is my family available?’” he joked. “Their schedules are getting tight.” His two daughters, Iris and Maude, have gone on to enjoy bigger careers since This Is 40, with Maude playing a leading role in HBO’s Euphoria, and Iris starring in Netflix’s The Bubble.
When Judd Apatow first spoke of This Is 50 last year, he alluded to a limited time frame in which he could get it done. “I couldn’t have done it five years ago, and I can’t do it five years from now, so I’ve been outlining that and hope it’s something that we get to do,” he said. “I feel like [‘This Is 40’] has really aged well, and it always feels like everyone watches it when they turn 40 and they go, ‘Oh, I understand it all now’ (laughs). So I’m enthusiastic about putting that together.“
Pete and Debbie were first introduced in Knocked Up and proved popular enough to take the lead in their own movie. If and when Judd Apatow gets around to This Is 50, he might just have his very own Before trilogy on his hands.
