On the eve of Judd Apatow’s Funny People getting released in US cinemas, it’s been announced that the director/producer has signed a major deal with Universal Pictures that will cover his next three films as director. It’s perhaps not a surprise, as while he’s produced movies for various studios, every movie he’s directed (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and now Funny People) has come out under the Universal banner, so it would seem to be his natural home.
It’s a good show of faith from the studio, which is already dealing with wildly differing reviews for Funny People, which range from it being an overlong (it’s a bum-numbing 146 minutes – which is astonishing for a comedy), hideously unfunny ego ride, through to it being the best film of the year and a breath of fresh air. However with Apatow’s track record, they’re still expecting a $25-$30 million opening weekend, and hoping he keeps his magic touch for his next three flicks.