This Is 40 was one of the biggest surprises of 2012, for me at least. Having seen the trailers and whatnot, I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much but it turned out to be one of my favourite films of the year.
Acting as a sequel-of-sorts to Knocked Up, many fans suspected that the film wouldn’t be the last time we see Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann). A third film was expected to be in development and now, director Judd Apatow has confirmed that he will indeed be giving us another look into Pete and Debbie’s life to complete the trilogy.
In an interview with Simon Thompson from Getty Images Entertainment, Apatow was asked about whether or not he will make a sequel to This Is 40. He replied with the following.
“Yes… because I like the series that Truffaut made where he revisited the same character five different times in five different movies. I think it’s fun to see people grow up. I’m interested in it with Leslie (Mann) and Paul (Rudd)’s characters… Pete and Debbie… but I’m even more interested in Maude and Iris. When we first met Maude’s character, Sadie, she was 8-years-old, she didn’t understand where babies come from and know we see her five years later and she’s just cursing and screaming and having teenager problems so I’m thinking that maybe in the next one she’s in college……or maybe I’m just lazy and this is a great way to make home movies…”
For those who haven’t made the connection, Apatow is referencing French filmmaker, François Truffaut, as his inspiration for making these films. But that’s besides the point. The point is that we’re getting a sequel to This Is 40, and that’s fantastic news!
Aside from being the funniest film I’ve seen in a long time, This Is 40 was also full of heart, terrific performances and some really genuine moments. I think that it’s Apatow’s best effort yet and I can’t wait to see where he takes these characters in the third film.