Though UK cinemas don’t get Judd Apatow’s latest, This Is 40, until February 14, it hits US screens in December, and the marketing campaign is now in full swing. A featurette with Apatow and some of his cast, including Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann talking it up is now online. Take a look above, though be aware of some NSFW language…
This Is 40 is the spin-off, not-quite sequel to Apatow’s Knocked Up, which finds Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) dealing with married life as they crest 40 (or don’t, depending on the denial candles of certain birthday cakes).
While they’re still very much in love, the pressure and strain of life after two kids and 14 years is really starting to bite, but everything they try just seems to make things worse.
Apatow has assembled a sterling cast for this one, including Apatow productions veterans Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy, Lena Dunham, Charlene Yi, Jason Segel and, of course, his and Mann’s daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow. New recruits are Albert Brooks and John Lithgow, playing Rudd & Mann’s fathers.
There is plenty of new footage on display, here, which points to a winner for Apatow and him more ably blending the serious and silly than he did with Funny People, which makes us happy.