Knocked Up director Judd Apatow has announced that he will soon be making a sequel to the sort-of-sequel-spinoff, This is 40, with stars Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd both due to return. Released back in 2012, Apatow revealed while speaking with The Wrap that the follow-up would pick up in real-time, some ten years after the events of the first outing. And, the This is 40 sequel will be given an unsurprising, yet pretty perfect, title.

This is 40 follows married couple Debbie and Pete, played by Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd respectively, both of whom were introduced in Judd Apatow’s 2007 romantic comedy Knocked Up. While Knocked Up focuses more on Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl as they attempt to come to terms with the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand that results in an unintended pregnancy, This is 40 switches the focus over to Pete and Debbie, as the long-time married couple struggle with the idea of turning 40.

“I’ve always wanted to make ‘This Is 50’ and it is time. 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. 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.”

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Written and directed by Judd Apatow, This is 40 finds the pair dealing with disobedient kids and rising debts coupled with, much like its predecessor, an unwanted pregnancy, as the two head towards a myriad of problems. While This is 40 did not receive the same acclaim as Knocked Up, instead being met with pretty mixed reviews, critics and audiences alike did heap praise on the cast, with many no doubt left wondering about how the couple will feel about life a decade later.

But will This is 50 be Judd Apatow’s next project? Well, when asked about his schedule, the writer/director revealed that it is just one of two ideas that he is pondering. But he does hope that the stars align for the This is 40 sequel eventually.

Judd Apatow Will First Helm Meta Comedy The Bubble

     Netflix

Before reuniting with Debbie and Pete, Judd Apatow will next helm the upcoming meta-comedy, The Bubble. Featuring an all-star ensemble cast that includes Karen Gillan, Iris Apatow, Fred Armisen, Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, Kate McKinnon, Pedro Pascal, and Peter Serafinowicz, The Bubble is set in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a group of actors travel to a closed set in England in order to film the sixth installment of Cliff Beasts, a wildly successful dinosaur-themed blockbuster franchise.

“I’m hoping that comes together. I have an idea that I really like for it.”

A superbly meta trailer for the movie was released recently, with The Bubble scheduled to be released by Netflix on April 1, 2022.