Madelyn Cline Joins Glen Powell In Judd Apatow’s Next Movie At Universal
EXCLUSIVE: Madelyn Cline is in talks to join Glen Powell in a new original untitled comedy at Universal with Judd Apatow on board to direct. Apatow and Powell co-wrote the pic with Cristin Milioti also recently joining the cast. The film, in which Powell plays a country-western star in free-fall, has been set for release on February 5, 2027.
Apatow will produce through his longstanding Apatow Productions overall deal with the studio, and Powell and Dan Cohen will produce through Barnstorm’s first-look deal. Kevin Misher will produce through Misher Films. Universal Senior EVP Production Development Erik Baiers and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project.
Both Powell and Apatow have strong ties to Universal. Apatow’s connection goes back to 2005 with his hit directorial debut The 40-Year Old Virgin. He has since directed hit comedies including Knocked Up, Funny People, This Is 40, Trainwreck and most recently The King of Staten Island for the studio.
Powell’s relationship originated with his starring role in Twisters, which overperformed expectations to become the biggest opening for a natural disaster film ever at the domestic box office, grossing $267.8 million in the U.S. and $372.3M worldwide.
The project is a high priority of the studio, but given Powell’s wildly busy schedule the shoot wasn’t able to go to this spring. In the film, Cline will play a pop star and sources say Apatow and studio execs had been looking at real life pop stars to play the part but in recent weeks had open up the audition process. Following Cline’s most recent meeting, the rising star blew away execs leading an offer being delivered soon after.
Cline’s star has been on the rise following her breakout performance in the hit Netflix series Outer Banks. The show most recently returned for its fourth season this fall and hit #1 immediately and was in Netflix’s Top 10 for over seven weeks. Madelyn will return for the series’ fifth and final season to premiere in 2026.
In July 2025, she starred in Sony’s I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, with an all-star next gen cast featuring Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Jonah Hauer-King and Tyriq Withers as well as returning stars Sarah Michelle Geller, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Quickly following in August, Madelyn and KJ Apa lead Amazon’s romantic drama, The Map That Leads to You, for Lasse Hallström. The film immediately reached #1 on Amazon Prime Video’s Top 10 the day it was released.
She will next be seen starring opposite Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz this year in Lionsgate’s Day Drinker for director Marc Webb.
She is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, Bold Talent Agency and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum.
