Judd Apatow’s Next Comedy Gets Even Bigger As Madelyn Cline Enters Talks To Join Glen Powell

Judd Apatow’s next comedy is quietly turning into one of those projects that feels bigger and more intriguing with every casting update. The latest? Madelyn Cline is now in talks to join Glen Powell in Universal’s still-untitled original comedy, which Apatow is set to direct from a script he co-wrote with Powell. Cristin Milioti is already on board, making this ensemble feel increasingly stacked.

The film, which has landed a February 5, 2027 release date, centers on Powell as a country-western star whose life and career are spiraling. If that premise alone sounds like fertile ground for Apatow’s brand of character-driven comedy, the behind-the-scenes setup only adds to the excitement. Apatow is producing through his longtime Apatow Productions deal with Universal, while Powell and Dan Cohen are producing via Barnstorm’s first-look deal. Kevin Misher is also producing through Misher Films, with Universal execs Erik Baiers and Jacqueline Garell overseeing the project.

Cline’s potential role is especially interesting. She would reportedly play a pop star, and sources say Apatow and the studio initially considered casting a real-life pop singer for the part. That approach shifted in recent weeks, opening the door to actors instead, and it sounds like Cline made quite the impression. Following a recent meeting, she apparently blew away studio executives, leading to an offer for the role.

It’s easy to see why Cline is in such high demand right now. She broke out in a big way with Netflix’s Outer Banks, which returned for its fourth season in the fall, immediately shot to No. 1, and stayed in the streamer’s Top 10 for more than seven weeks. She’s set to return for the show’s fifth and final season, expected to premiere in 2026.

Her recent film work has been just as busy. Over the summer, she starred in Sony’s I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel alongside a new generation of stars, while also sharing the screen with returning franchise favorites like Sarah Michelle Geller, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Shortly after, she teamed up with KJ Apa for Amazon’s romantic drama The Map That Leads to You, which debuted at No. 1 on Prime Video.

Up next, Cline will appear opposite Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz in Lionsgate’s Day Drinker, directed by Marc Webb. If she officially signs on for Apatow’s comedy, it’ll mark another major step in what’s shaping up to be a very impressive run.