Judd Apatow Says It’s ‘Wrong’ to Think Comedy Movies Are Dead in Theaters: ‘It Just Requires Another Hit’ Since Hollywood ‘Will Chase Anything That Does Well’

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Zendaya‘s most prolific roles to date in HBO’s “Euphoria,” which won her two Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, and three of Marvel’s “Spider-Man” films have something in common: High school. But she’s leaving the classroom behind for her new film, Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” which casts Zendaya as a tennis phenom and finds her at one point during the movie playing a mother in her early 30s. “I’m always in a high school somewhere,” Zendaya recently told Vogue magazine about her career thus far.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jackie Chan marked his 70th birthday on April 7 by telling people not to worry about his health after some photos of the acting icon looking old with grey hair circulated online recently and sparked concern among his fans. Chan wrote in an Instagram post that any photo of him looking much older than 70 is just him in character for a new movie. “Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my health,” Chan wrote in the caption.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Steve Burns, who became an icon of children’s television as the host of Nickelodeon‘s “Blue’s Clues” from 1996 to 2002, recently spoke to “Today” and said he watched the viral documentary series “Quiet on Set” in “horror and heartbreak.” The ID Discovery series explores the alleged harassment and abuse that took place at Nickelodeon before and after the turn of the century, which is the same time Burns was the face of “Blue’s Clues.” “I don’t have any particular insight into any of that,” Burns said about the allegations made in the documentary series. “I’m coming to it much the same as anyone else, with horror and heartbreak. It’s just terrible to watch it unfold.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Carla Gugino recently told BuzzFeed that her beloved role in Robert Rodriguez’s 2001 family action film “Spy Kids” was “physically totally impossible.” The actor was 27 years old when she filmed the movie and played Ingrid Cortes, the mother of two spies. By Gugino’s math, the character didn’t add up. “It is so funny because I was 27,” Gugino recounted.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jon Bernthal is back playing Frank Castle (aka Punisher) on the set of “Daredevil: Born Again,” new set photos from which have the character paired up with Charlie Cox’s eponymous hero and soaked in blood. The Disney+ series is now filming in New York City. Bernthal debuted as Frank Castle in Netflix’s “The Punisher” series, which aired for two seasons and 26 episodes between 2017 and 2019.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Frankie Muniz shared on the latest episode of “I’m A Celebrity Australia” (via News.com.au) that he once “walked off” the set of his beloved Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle” when everyone else was refusing to stand up to certain people who were “controlling or rude or disrespectful.” Muniz starred on the comedy as the eponymous child genius for seven seasons, but he missed two episodes because of his decision. “There were two episodes I’m not in. I walked off the set,” Muniz said, explaining that his actions were due to set tensions.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Dev Patel makes his feature directorial debut with the upcoming action movie “Monkey Man,” which blew the roof off SXSW earlier this month and earned strong reviews, but getting the film made was no walk in the park. During a Reddit AMA ahead of the film’s April theatrical release, Patel told fans that directing, acting in and producing “Monkey Man” was “the most demanding thing I’ve ever done in my life” because “everyday we faced absolute catastrophe.” “I begged our financier not to shut us down a few weeks before principal photography,” Patel wrote.

Judd Apatow has directed such comedy films as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Trainwreck, among others. Despite his recent The King of Staten Island and The Bubble going straight to streaming, he still believes comedy films have a place in theaters.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jake Gyllenhaal recently opened up on “The Howard Stern Show” about what it was like losing two major roles during the final rounds of casting: Batman in Christopher Nolan‘s “Batman Begins” and Christian in Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge!” On the latter film, the audition process came down to Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger and Ewan McGregor. It’s here where Gyllenhaal first heard of Ledger, who would later become his co-star in “Brokeback Mountain.” “What I felt was disappointment when I didn’t get it. Both Heath and I were disappointed,” Gyllenhaal said.

Before reaching A-list status in Hollywood, some celebrities were once roommates in the early years of their careers. Many celebrity roommates, such as Dianna Agron and Lea Michele, met and lived together because they starred in the same show. In this case, Agron and Michele were both actors of "Glee," and decided to room together while filming.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Pirates of the Caribbean” producer Jerry Bruckheimer said in a recent interview with ComicBook.com that the current plan is to “reboot” the beloved Disney adventure franchise, which has grossed $4.5 billion across five movies. Bruckheimer was fielding a question about the future of his hit franchises, which also includes the Tom Cruise-starring “Top Gun” series. “It’s hard to tell,” Bruckheimer said.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Before Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” opened in theaters in March 2022, there was a lot of discussion online surrounding the movie’s rating. Many comic book fans were hoping to get the first Dark Knight movie with an R rating, but the film earned a PG-13 nonetheless. The universe of “The Batman” is expanding with the upcoming Max series “The Penguin,” starring Colin Farrell as Gotham City gangster Oswald Cobblepot.

Judd Apatow is commenting on the trend of streamers licensing content from rival studios.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Happy Gilmore 2″ is apparently being developed by Adam Sandler, and a script even exists. Shooter McGavin actor Christopher McDonald revealed the news during a radio interview on “Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan.” McDonald said he had a recent run-in with Sandler, who unexpectedly pulled out the first draft for a sequel to their 1996 sports comedy classic. “I saw Adam [Sandler] about two weeks ago, and he says to me, ‘McDonald, you’re gonna love this,'” McDonald said.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sharon Stone surprised fans in January when she revealed on Instagram that she tried and failed to pitch a “Barbie” movie in the 1990s, decades before Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie would make their own “Barbie” movie to the tune of $1.4 billion worldwide (the highest-grossing film of 2023) and eight Academy Award nominations. Stone said she got “laughed out of the studio” back then, and she recently dropped some new info about her axed “Barbie” movie while visiting Dana Carvey and David Spade’s “Fly On The Wall” podcast.

Addie Morfoot Contributor The South by Southwest debut of “Stormy” was not your typical Imagine Documentaries premiere. About adult film star Stormy Daniels’ alleged affair with former President Donald Trump, the film drew an eclectic crowd that included porn stars and “Muppet” director-producer Frank Oz, who sat in the same row as Daniels and her entourage made up mainly of buff bodyguards.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Gwyneth Paltrow confirmed on “Hot Ones” that a rumor about Bill Clinton sleeping through a screening of “Emma” at the White House is true. The 1996 Jane Austen adaptation was directed by Douglas McGrath and featured Paltrow in the title role. She earned critical acclaim for the performance, which continued her hot streak as one of the most recognizable actors of the 1990s indie film boom.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Gwyneth Paltrow was the latest guest on “Hot Ones” and waxed poetic on Hollywood’s push into superhero movies when asked by host Sean Evans about Cord Jefferson’s recent Oscar speech. The “American Fiction” director won best adapted screenplay this year and made a plea to Hollywood during his acceptance speech, saying: “Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies.” “I absolutely understand where he’s coming from,” Paltrow said in response.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director It looks like we haven’t seen the last of gangster Tommy Shelby after all. Speaking to Birmingham World at the premiere of his new BBC drama “The Town,” “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight confirmed that recent Oscar winner Cillian Murphy will be reprising his beloved role in the upcoming film version of the British crime drama. Knight said Murphy is “definitely” coming back, and filming on the “Peaky Blinders” movie kicks off this September.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sharon Stone stopped by Dana Carvey and David Spade’s “Fly On The Wall” podcast to discuss the time she hosted “Saturday Night Live” back in April 1992 shortly after the release of her erotic blockbuster “Basic Instinct.” Stone remembered being “terrified” during the live taping as protestors stormed the stage seconds before her monologue. Six men were eventually arrested due to the incident. Stone said “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels “personally saved my life” when the protestors charged.