Judd Apatow is cleaning house after he held a press conference late Wednesday night following a screening for this weekend’s “comedy” Drillbit Taylor starring Owen Wilson as a homeless soldier gone AWOL who cons some high school nerds into paying him as their bodyguard. The move comes as a reaction to the recent credit Apatow has received for everything he touches and concern over what the film will do for his high rising reputation.
“I had nothing to do with [Drillbit Taylor], my name was added as a courtesy,” Apatow said to a room filled with wide-eyed journalists. “When I was originally pitched the concept I was told it would be funny and there would be plenty of senseless homeless man on high school bully violence. Unfortunately that is not what we got. On top of that there are no dick jokes and the word ‘fuck’ isn’t uttered once. I mean, ‘fuck’ is funny! This movie isn’t.”
Apatow has recently received credit for plenty of work that was not his own including last year’s comedy hit Superbad and the 2006 success Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Apatow produced both those comedies, just as he produced Drillbit Taylor, and while Paramount Pictures refused to remove Apatow’s name from the credits he wanted to make sure the public knew he was disowning the film and would not include it on his resume.
“I am finally going to make sure the director of the work I was involved in gets all the credit, something I vow to do any time a film I produce looks like it will bomb.” Apatow continued, “However, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was all my idea and I wish Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller the best of luck. I am glad I could help them make such a great movie.”
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was received well following it’s showing at the South by Southwest Film Festival. So much so that Variety reviewer, Joe Leydon, said, “Judd Apatow looks to have scored another long-legged hit,” completely ignoring the fact the film was written by Segal and directed by Stoller in his opening salvo.
At the press conference Apatow was seen wearing a “Down with Kicking and Screaming” t-shirt as he is also setting out to remove his name from the Will Ferrell starrer he produced in 2005.
On hearing the news that Apatow was disowning Drillbit Taylor, Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures CEO, said, “It’s unfortunate that he would not want to be involved in promoting Judd Apatow Presents: Drillbit Taylor because it really is brought to you by the guys that made Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad. Judd’s one of those guys. I just don’t get it.”
There is no telling what this will do to the success of Drillbit Taylor when it hits theaters this Friday (March 21st), but we will be sure to keep an eye on it.
Not only is this article satire, it was also brought to you by Judd Apatow!
