Judd Apatow to Serve as Guest Curator of New Comedy Film Exhibition at the Academy Museum

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has announced that legendary writer, director and producer Judd Apatow would be the Academy Museum’s first guest curator of its newest comedy film exhibition focused on celebrating and presenting the comedy genre and filmmakers.

The announcement occurred during the Academy Museum’s 20th Anniversary celebration and screening of Apatow’s hit feature directorial debut, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), as part of an onstage conversation between Apatow, Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Jane Lynch, Gerry Bednob, and Kat Dennings in the museum’s David Geffen Theater. On the evening of the event, audiences were treated to behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the film and heartfelt moments and anecdotes from Apatow, Carell, Keener, Lynch, Bednob, and Dennings on how this classic film came together.

Slated for April 2027, the yet-to-be-titled exhibition is the first Academy Museum exhibition dedicated to the art of comedy in film. Using the resources of the Academy Collection–which includes over 52 million items across the Academy Museum, the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library, and the Academy Film Archive– and through original content featuring a diverse range of comedy filmmakers, Apatow will bring his sense of humor and decades of comedy expertise and fandom to the museum exhibition.

 “We’re thrilled to announce that our first guest curator at the Academy Museum is none other than the hilarious and brilliant Judd Apatow,” said Academy Museum Director and President Amy Homma. “Judd’s comedies have shaped entertainment and culture, and we know his expertise, appreciation, and love for the art of comedy will bring a unique exhibition to our audiences.”

“The cat is out of the bag! I’ll be working with the Academy Museum to showcase some of my favorite films and filmmakers throughout the ages,” said Apatow. “I am honored to curate this project alongside the museum’s talented team and with access to the Academy Collection. We hope to leave visitors inspired and, of course, with a big smile on their faces.”

ABOUT THE ACADEMY MUSEUM

The Academy Museum is the largest museum in the world devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. The museum advances the understanding, celebration, and preservation of cinema through inclusive and accessible exhibitions, screenings, programs, initiatives, and collections. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the museum's campus contains the restored and revitalized historic Saban Building—formerly known as the May Company building (1939)—and a soaring spherical addition. Together, these buildings contain 50,000 square feet of exhibition spaces, two state-of-the-art theaters, the Shirley Temple Education Studio, and beautiful public spaces that are free and open to the public. These include The Walt Disney Company Piazza and the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby, which houses the Spielberg Family Gallery, Academy Museum Store, and Fanny’s restaurant and café. The Academy Museum is open six days a week from 10am to 6pm.
 

ABOUT Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow is one of the most prolific comedic minds in the industry. He is currently in production on a two-part documentary on the life and career of Mel Brooks for HBO Documentary Films that he is producing and co-directing with Michael Bonfiglio. Recently, Apatow produced Peacock’s Stormy Daniels documentary, Stormy, Peacock’s buddy comedy Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain and Universal’s romcom, Bros , starring and co-written by Billy Eichner. Apatow also directed, produced, and co-wrote with Pam Brady, the Netflix comedy The Bubble and produced and co-directed HBO Films’ Emmy®-winning documentary George Carlin’s American Dream with Bonfiglio. Previous director credits include the Emmy®-award-winning documentary, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and The King of Staten Island. He produced Academy Award®-nominated The Big Sick and Bridesmaids, as well as, Superbad, Pineapple Express and Anchorman. For television, he executive produced Crashing, Girls, and Freaks and Geeks. Off screen, Apatow authored Sicker in the Head , a follow-up to his New York Times best-seller Sick in the Head, and the forthcoming memoir Comedy Nerd.

Image credit: ©Academy Museum Foundation, Photos by: Andrew Ge

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