This Is 40 Director Judd Apatow Is Writing a Broadway Play and Thinks It May Be 'The Best Idea I’ve Ever Had’

Did Judd Apatow catch the Broadway bug from his This Is 40 star Paul Rudd? The filmmaking funnyman is hard at work on a new Broadway play, and it’s unlike anything he’s ever done.

“I have a great idea. Maybe like the best idea I’ve ever had,” Apatow told GQ. “It requires me to create characters and situations that have absolutely nothing to do with my experience.”

According to the report, Apatow’s play involves the challenges faced by victims of the criminal-justice system, and it is by no means one of Apatow’s signature autobiographical farces. In fact, it may not even be a comedy.

“I’m excited to write something which has a social conscience. That is not something I have attempted before, and I hope I am up for the challenge,” said Apatow.

So what inspired Apatow’s jump from the screen to the stage? “I’m noticing that I really wish there was another part of my relationship with the crowd. I miss doing something where I’m interacting more with the audience,” he revealed. “I like the idea of writing something and rewriting it every night based on how it’s playing.” That's what previews are for, Judd!