Calling all film types: gracing the Empire office for a Web Chat is clearly good for your career! Okay, so it’s a coincidence, and we’re sure the ink on both deals was dry before they arrived, but hot on the heels of Paul Feig selling a new comedy pitch to Universal comes word that fellow chatee Chris O’Dowd has landed a role in Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up spin-off.
The film, which is gearing up to shoot, doesn’t yet have an official title (it’s currently named This Is Forty, though that could change), and much of the plot is still a secret, but Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann will be reprising the roles of Pete and Debbie from Knocked Up alongside the already-cast Albert Brooks and Megan Fox.
Now O’Dowd is coming aboard to play someone who works for Pete’s record company, alongside Lena Dunham, who launched a film career with her indie movie Tiny Furniture, and has been hard at work on an HBO series produced by Apatow. Wyatt Russell (part of the Cowboys And Aliens cast) is on as a hockey player. Oh, and Knocked Up veteran Charlyne Yi will be back as Jodi. There’s no word yet on whether any of the rest of the cast – Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel etc. – will return.