Can Judd Apatow ‘Comeback’ from Trump Derangement Syndrome?

Judd Apatow made better comedies than just about everyone for a good, long while.

Here’s just a sampling of films and TV shows he either wrote, directed or produced over the past 20-plus years.

• “Anchorman”
• “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”
• “Knocked Up”
• “Freaks & Geeks”
• “Crashing”
• “Bridesmaids” 
• “This Is 40”
• “Step Brothers”
• “Get Him to the Greek”

Now, that’s a legacy. And, for the past few years, said legacy has been stuck in neutral. His 2022 Netflix original, “The Bubble,” got hammered by critics. His attempt to make Pete Davidson a movie star, “The King of Staten Island,” got stung by COVID-19 and a lack of big laughs.

His last mainstream comedy hit? The 2013 Amy Schumer vehicle “Trainwreck.”

In recent years, he’s used awards show stages and press interviews to savage President Donald Trump while watching his comedy output droop.

Coincidence?

Judd Apatow Says Trump’s America Has Become ‘Heinous’ and ‘There’s a Weird Normalization’ Going On: ‘We’re Going Skiing Today So I Guess ICE Isn’t Terrorizing Everybody’ https://t.co/SBttexH1NR

— Variety (@Variety) January 23, 2026

Judd Apatow hit out at Donald Trump at the Golden Globes by saying: “I believe we’re a dictatorship now.”https://t.co/bOV17S1uUr

— Variety (@Variety) January 12, 2026

He wouldn’t be the first comedian to be dethroned by Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just ask Rosie O’Donnell, Kathy Griffin, Jimmy Kimmel and more.

It’s also notable how silent Apatow has been on the culture war front. He’s one of the rare voices who could have stood up to Cancel Culture. He and his high-profile comedy chums could have taken a stand when it mattered most.

Did anyone have more comedy gravitas than Apatow?

Yet he did nothing of the kind in recent years. Instead, he tip-toed around the issue.

Now, he’s got a comeback in mind. Literally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Universal Pictures (@universalpictures)

“The Comeback King” just started production, and it finds him back in the directorial chair. He’s co-writing the film with star Glen Powell, the charismatic “Top Gun: Maverick” standout who hit the A-list thanks to that film and “Anyone But You.”

We know little about the project, save a release window –  Feb. 2027.

Can Apatow reclaim his mantle as the unofficial king of R-rated comedies? Has he lost his creative fastball, content to crank out lesser material? He’s kept busy of late, working on lower-profile projects like a documentary on Mel Brooks, but that material can’t compare to creative highs like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”

Powell’s presence, as both star and co-writer, should prevent Apatow from using the film to smite Heartland USA. But will that be enough to catapult the director back atop the A-list?

We’ll find out next February.