EXCLUSIVE: Following her Emmy-winning turn in The Penguin, Cristin Milioti has set her sights on her next big film project and looks to be teaming with one of the town’s busiest stars. Sources tell Deadline that Milioti is set to join Glen Powell in a new untitled original comedy at Universal from Judd Apatow, who is directing and who co-wrote the script with Powell.
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. The silver lining of the wait is Apatow having the time to meet with top-tier talent for Powell’s co-star, ultimately leading him to Milioti, who has jumped to the top of studio list of female leads after her scene-stealing role in The Penguin.
Misher also has a long history with Universal, where he was President of Production from 1996-2001 and supervised production for some of the studio’s most acclaimed features including Erin Brockovich, The Fast and the Furious, Meet the Parents, and The Mummy. Misher subsequently formed Misher Films, where he has been producing a variety of films over the past two decades including Fighting With My Family, Coming 2 America and You People.
Besides The Penguin, Milioti recently lent her voice to Netflix’s animated film In Your Dreams, in which she starred opposite Simu Liu and Craig Robinson. The film, recently nominated for a Critics Choice Award, follows a girl and her brother as they magically travel into the world of dreams to find The Sandman. The film was first released in theaters in November and is now streaming on Netflix.
Milioti will next star opposite Topher Grace in director Casper Kelly’s horror film Buddy, which follows a brave girl and her friends in their journey to escape a kids television show. The film is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22. She also recently wrapped production on the pilot for FX’s drama Seven Sisters opposite Elizabeth Olsen. The series follows a large, tight-knit family that begins to unravel as one sister begins to communicate with a mysterious voice, forcing the family to confront hidden secrets.
Milioti is represented by UTA and Jackoway Austen and the Lede Company.