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This Is 50: Is Judd Apatow’s This Is 40 Sequel Happening? Everything We Know

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This Is 50 is not confirmed as an active movie production. Judd Apatow has publicly discussed the idea, said he was outlining it, and indicated that he would like to make it. But as of August 14, 2026, there is no confirmed greenlight, filming schedule, release date, or official sequel cast announcement.

Is This Is 50 actually happening?

It is still possible, but it has not been officially confirmed as moving forward. The project is best described as a proposed sequel to This Is 40, rather than a movie that is currently filming or scheduled for release.

Apatow first discussed the idea years ago and has returned to it in interviews. His comments establish genuine creative interest and ongoing outlining—not a completed production plan. There is no public evidence confirming that Universal has greenlit the film, that a finished screenplay exists, or that principal photography has begun.

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What Judd Apatow has said

2013: A possible continuation

After This Is 40, Apatow said another installment would depend on whether enough interesting life material emerged. He left open the possibility of continuing the story while acknowledging that it might never happen. The concept was therefore tied to real-life changes, family circumstances, and whether those experiences could support another film—not to a locked studio timetable.

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2020: A rough outline, not a release announcement

In a 2020 interview with GQ, Apatow said that, if the films followed the original life-stage timetable, This Is 50 would have needed to arrive around 2022. He also said he had a “rough outline” and questioned whether his family would want to participate.

That 2022 reference was a projection based on the characters’ ages and the timing of the first film. It was not an announced release date, and the date passed without a sequel being released.

March 2022: “It is time”

In a March 2022 interview with TheWrap, Apatow said, “I’ve always wanted to make ‘This Is 50’ and it is time.” He explained that he was outlining the story and hoped it would be something he could make.

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He described the project as one of two ideas he was considering for his next directing project. That wording indicated active interest, but it did not amount to a formal announcement that the film had been approved, financed, cast, or scheduled.

November 2023: Still being outlined

The latest located direct comment from Apatow specifically about the project came in November 2023. He said he had not given up on This Is 50, had an idea he was outlining on the side, and would love to make it. He also identified a practical question: whether his family would be available.

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That distinction matters. An outline is an early development document or concept, not proof of a finished script or production commitment. Apatow’s statement kept the project alive as a creative possibility, but did not establish a start date.

Does This Is 50 have a release date?

No release date has been announced. The proposed 2022 timing was never an official date, and no later year has been confirmed. Any website, poster, social-media post, or video presenting a specific release date should be treated cautiously unless it is backed by an official studio announcement or a direct, current statement from the filmmakers.

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Are Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann returning?

There is no official sequel casting confirmation. Paul Rudd played Pete and Leslie Mann played Debbie in This Is 40, and the sequel idea has naturally been discussed as a continuation of that family’s story. But being associated with the original characters is not the same as signing contracts to return.

Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow played Pete and Debbie’s daughters in the original film. Their connection to the family and Apatow’s comments make the daughters relevant to the proposed continuation, but neither has been publicly confirmed as part of a final sequel cast.

The accurate wording is that Apatow has discussed revisiting the family—not that Rudd, Mann, Maude Apatow, or Iris Apatow are confirmed to appear.

What would the sequel be about?

The confirmed premise is a roughly ten-year progression from This Is 40 to the same family at or around age 50. Apatow has not released a complete plot, official synopsis, finished screenplay, or detailed character arcs for This Is 50.

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The original film’s concerns suggest the broad creative territory: marriage, parenting, work, money, aging, and the changing relationship between parents and children. But specific events, conflicts, locations, or endings for the sequel would be speculation. There is not enough public information to provide a reliable plot summary.

Is the viral This Is 50 poster real?

No. The poster circulated online in 2025 was unofficial. A September 2025 report found no credible announcement that the film had been greenlit, scheduled to film, or given a release date. The image should not be used as evidence that production has started.

That episode also illustrates how sequel rumors gain momentum. A fan-made or unofficial image can look like promotional material once it is reposted, but an authentic poster would normally be supported by an official studio, distributor, filmmaker, or cast announcement.

What is confirmed—and what is not?

Claim Status
Judd Apatow is behind the project Confirmed as the writer-director publicly discussing the idea
The working title is This Is 50 Confirmed in Apatow’s public comments
The story would follow This Is 40 by about ten years Confirmed as the proposed concept
A finished script exists Not publicly confirmed
Universal has greenlit the film Not publicly confirmed
Filming has begun or is scheduled Not publicly confirmed
Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are signed to return Not publicly confirmed
A release date has been announced No
The 2025 viral poster is official No; it was unofficial
The project has been canceled Not established
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How This Is 40 fits into the story

This Is 40 was released in the United States on December 21, 2012, by Universal Pictures. Written and directed by Judd Apatow, it starred Paul Rudd as Pete and Leslie Mann as Debbie, a married couple dealing with work, children, parents, and the pressures surrounding a milestone birthday.

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The original film is a comedy about a family approaching what its official home-entertainment description calls a milestone meltdown. It runs 2 hours 17 minutes, carries an R rating, and was released in Blu-ray and DVD editions.

While there is still no confirmed release date for This Is 50, fans can revisit the original with the official This Is 40 Blu-ray or DVD.

What happened to the sequel?

Nothing publicly confirms that This Is 50 was canceled. The more precise explanation is that the idea has remained in development limbo: Apatow has continued to discuss and outline it, but no public production milestone has followed.

Several factors appear relevant from Apatow’s own comments, including whether the family members connected to the story would be available and whether the material still felt timely and worthwhile. Those are creative and practical considerations, not evidence of either a definite cancellation or an imminent production.

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The bottom line

This Is 50 is a real sequel idea that Judd Apatow has discussed repeatedly, most recently in the located direct comments from November 2023. It is not, however, publicly confirmed as an active production as of August 14, 2026.

There is no verified release date, filming schedule, official trailer, authentic poster, completed-cast announcement, or confirmed return for Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, or Iris Apatow. The safest answer to “Is the This Is 40 sequel happening?” is: it remains possible and publicly discussed, but it is not confirmed yet.

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Judd ApatowLeslie Mannmovie sequelsPaul RuddThis Is 40This Is 50

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