Lonely Island Teams With Judd Apatow For Music World Set Feature Film

The Lonely IslandI can see the trailers and posters now: from the guys who brought you "Jizz In My Pants," "I Just Had Sex," "Jack Sparrow," "Motherlover," "I’m On A Boat" and "Lazy Sunday." And you know what? I’ll be the first one in line for whatever they have cooking up.

The Lonely Island — the music/digital short/movie team of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone — are teaming up with producer Judd Apatow for a musical world set comedy film at Universal. That’s about all the plot details there are, but Schaffer and Taccone will co-direct this mystery project, with both guys more than comfortable behind the camera.

It won’t be the trio’s first time teaming up to make a movie. As cult comedy enthusiasts already know, they delivered the ridiculous "Hot Rod" in 2007, which while certainly not perfect, had more than a few worthwhile moments of hilarity. And since then, they’ve only refined their comic edge without losing the spirit of surreality and WTF-ness that broke them out in the first place, so yes, this has some definite potential. [Deadline]

5/15/15 Update: Universal announced that production has started today. Press release below.

Universal Pictures today announced that production begins this week on Top Secret Untitled Lonely Island Movie, starring digital-shorts superstars Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who are collectively known as The Lonely Island. Co-directed by Schaffer and Taccone, the comedy from blockbuster producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Bridesmaids, upcoming Trainwreck) will be set in the world of music.

Taccone, Samberg and Schaffer have been friends since junior high school in Berkeley, California. In 2000, the trio began writing, directing and producing its own brand of comedy and showcasing it on www.thelonelyisland.com. The three writing partners are responsible for creating the popular SNL “Digital Shorts,” which reinvigorated the series and spurred many water-cooler moments over the past decade.

Some of the most notable shorts include their Emmy-winning “D**k in a Box” (with Justin Timberlake), “LazySunday” (a rap about The Chronicles of Narnia) and “The Natalie Portman Rap,” “YOLO (featuring Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar),” “I Just Had Sex (featuring Akon)” and “I’m on a Boat (featuring T-Pain).” The Lonely Island’s debut album, “Incredibad,” was released by Universal Republic in February 2009 and is the first comedy album to reach No. 1 on iTunes.

“Not to be hyperbolic, but we are seriously zazzed about this movie,” said The Lonely Island.

“I have begged these fine gentlemen to allow me to produce one of their films since day one,” said Apatow, “and finally they decided my whining needed to come to an end.”

Lonely Island, production poster