Judd Apatow Signs With WME

EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed Judd Apatow, the prolific hyphenate responsible for a ton of comedy box office and the launch of many stars and filmmakers in that space.

As Deadline exclusively revealed, Apatow ended a 30-year relationship with UTA, and took meetings with the other majors before deciding his next chapter will be with WME. It’s a coup for the agency.

Apatow remains managed by Mosaic’s Jimmy Miller and lawyered by Ziffrin Brittenham. Apatow’s successes in the comedy space range from Freaks and Geeks and the HBO series Girls to films like Talladega Nights, The 40-Year Old Virgin, Trainwreck, the Anchorman films, Bridesmaids, Step Brothers, Superbad, Knocked Up, Begin Again, The Big Sick, The King of Staten Island, Bros and so many others. Among the star careers empowered by Apatow include Seth Rogen, Lena Dunham, Emma Stone, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jason Segel and so many others.

The comedy space has gotten more complicated in recent years, as we reported in his exit story. But if the genre is poised for a resurgence, expect Apatow to be a major piece of it.