Judd Apatow adds John Lithgow and 2 non actors to his next film!

The Film Stage has more:

We told you last night that John Lithgow had already joined the cast of the next film fromJudd Apatow, which might be titled This Is Forty. (I would like to just be able to call it that and move on, really.) Now, THR has learned of two more additions to the movie, and interestingly enough, neither of them are traditional actors.

The two are Annie Mumolo and Robert Smigel, the former of whom co-wroteBridesmaids with its star, Kristen Wiig. Smigel is a name that you might recognize right away, thanks to his work on shows like Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. On that talk show, he created Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who became one of the most famous figures in comedy from the past ten years.

His past association with Apatow comes through his co-writing credit on You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, but let’s hope this turns out a little better than that. Some might be worried about two people who aren’t normally actors having parts here, but I think that can be dissuaded for two reasons: 1. Apatow is very good at bringing out people’s comedic sensibilities, and 2. These will probably be smaller roles.

Melissa McCarthy joins Judd Apatow's next film!

The Hollywood Reporter has the casting news:

Melissa McCarthy, a breakout star of Bridesmaids, and Ryan Lee, one of the child actors in Super 8, are joining the cast of Universal’s untitled comedy project being directed and written by Judd Apatow.

Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are reprising their characters of husband and wife from Apatow's Knocked Up in a new story by the writer-director-producer. Albert Brooks and Megan Fox are also among the cast.

Many of the character details are being kept secret but it is understood that Lee will play the son of McCarthy, a mom at the school that Rudd and Mann’s children attend.

Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend will also produce the comedy, which at one point was working under the title This Is Forty.

McCarthy is riding high these days off of her raunchy work in Universal’s Bridesmaids, which has grossed more than $154 million domestic and was produced by Apatow. The actress, repped by CAA, Schiff Co. and attorney Mark Wetzstein, also stars on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly.

Judd Apatow is casting Albert Brooks and Megan Fox in his next film?

Quite possibly, according to Deadline:

Albert Brooks is negotiating to join the untitled comedy that Judd Apatow wrote and will direct for Universal Pictures. The film will star Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, who are reprising the roles they played in Knocked Up. I'm told that Brooks is in talks to play Rudd's father in a film that will also feature Megan Fox. It's an interesting pairing, Brooks and Apatow, because they are both writer/directors whose comedies have a very auteurish voice. Brooks most recently played a mobster you don't want to cross in Drive, the Nicolas Winding Refn-directed adaptation of the James Sallis novel that stars Ryan Gosling.

Brooks also has a May publication date on 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America, a novel that will be published by St. Martin's Press. That book takes a serious look at what might happen in 20 years, when cancer has been eradicated and life expectancies have been pushed up to 110, rendering 70 the new middle age. Brooks is repped by WME and managed by Herb Nanas.

-Joey's Two Cents: This is definitely a film I'm going to be following as it comes together, as I'm an Apatow fan...thoughts?