Judd Apatow Teams Up With Glen Powell and Cristin Milioti for New Universal Comedy

Fresh off her Emmy-winning turn in The Penguin, Cristin Milioti isn’t slowing down—and her next move sounds like a big one. The actress is lining up her next major film role and looks to be teaming up with one of Hollywood’s busiest stars. According to Deadline, Milioti is set to star opposite Glen Powell in an untitled original comedy at Universal, directed by Judd Apatow, who also co-wrote the script with Powell.

The film will see Powell playing a country-western star whose career is in a downward spiral, and Universal has already locked in a release date of February 5, 2027.

Apatow will produce through Apatow Productions as part of his long-standing overall deal with the studio, while Powell and Dan Cohen will produce via Barnstorm’s first-look deal. Kevin Misher is also on board as a producer through Misher Films. Universal executives Erik Baiers and Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project.

Both Apatow and Powell are deeply tied to Universal, making this collaboration feel like a natural fit. Apatow’s history with the studio stretches back to his 2005 breakout hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, followed by comedies like Knocked Up, Funny People, This Is 40, Trainwreck, and The King of Staten Island.

Powell, meanwhile, strengthened his relationship with the studio thanks to Twisters, which exceeded expectations and became the biggest domestic opening ever for a natural disaster movie, pulling in $267.8 million in the U.S. and $372.3 million worldwide.

While the project is a major priority for Universal, Powell’s packed schedule meant production couldn’t kick off this spring. The upside? Apatow had time to meet with top-tier talent for the female lead—ultimately landing on Milioti, who has quickly become one of the most in-demand actresses in town after her scene-stealing work in The Penguin.

Producer Kevin Misher also brings deep Universal roots to the project. He previously served as the studio’s president of production from 1996 to 2001, overseeing films like Erin Brockovich, The Fast and the Furious, Meet the Parents, and The Mummy, before launching Misher Films.

Outside of The Penguin, Milioti recently voiced a role in Netflix’s animated film In Your Dreams, starring alongside Simu Liu and Craig Robinson. The film earned a Critics Choice nomination and is now streaming after a theatrical debut last fall.

Up next, she’ll star opposite Topher Grace in the horror film Buddy, which premieres at Sundance on January 22, and she’s also wrapped production on FX’s drama pilot Seven Sisters, co-starring Elizabeth Olsen.

With Apatow behind the camera and Powell in the lead, this comedy is already shaping up to be one to watch—and Milioti’s casting only makes it more intriguing.