Many films reference historic events or periods within global society in differing ways. Films like Dunkirk are grounded and inspired by a specific historical event, while others like the iconic Forrest Gump take the approach of including more peripheral references. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of, if not the most impactful historical event in the past decade and has led on to inspire a new wave of art that in one way or another is situated within or references the pandemic. The film industry is no exception, and many writers and producers have been creating films primarily or tangentially referencing the pandemic. One of these filmmakers is none other than Judd Apatow. His latest release, The Bubble, will be taking a comedic spin on the circumstances brought on by the pandemic. With Apatow directing, The Bubble is an upcoming American meta-comedy film with the acclaimed comedy filmmaker co-writing the screenplay alongside Pam Brady. It will feature an ensemble cast that includes Iris Apatow, Fred Armisen, Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Karen Gillan, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, Kate McKinnon, Pedro Pascal, and Peter Serafinowicz. The film will be co-produced by Apatow’s longtime collaborator Barry Mendel under their Apatow Productions company.
Is There a Trailer For The Bubble?
The trailer opens with a band of adventurers climbing up a precarious mountain face, then cuts to a desolate forest of dead trees. As the adventurers walk through the forest, they hear the cry of a wild beast. Suddenly, a flying dinosaur streaks through the sky and scoops up one of the adventurers in its talons. The lead adventurer jumps into action and vaults into the air to save his compatriot. The shot suddenly cuts to a green screen and reveals the characters to be actors on a movie set. It is revealed that they are in England at the start of production of Cliff Beasts 6, a blockbuster action franchise about flying dinosaurs. The production team is filming in a bubble, and living together isolated in an upscale European hotel during a pandemic (not directly named within the trailer). The stakes are high: as one of only two movies in production, their studio is going to go under if the movie flops.
As filming grinds on, the actor’s mental, emotional, and physical health start to derail, and the last third of the trailer features promising clips of physical hi-jinks and possible attempts at escape from the bubble, with Pedro Pascal’s character screaming “Send Help!,” a poorly-flown helicopter, a TikTok with a CGI dinosaur, and secret agents staking out the premises. The trailer promises a meta-comedy ripe with Apatow's signature brand of R-rated humor that has become a household staple for the comedy juggernaut.
When is The Bubble Coming Out?
The Bubble is scheduled to be released by Netflix on April 1, 2022. It will be the first Apatow’s first film not at Universal in over 15 years, and his first with Netflix. He previously worked with Netflix on the television series Love starring Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust in addition to producing Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, a stand-alone sequel to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Also debuting on streaming that week will be the sci-fi romantic comedy Moonshot starring Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse on HBO Max, the musical comedy Better Nate Than Ever on Disney+, and Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, which is also on Netflix.
Who is in The Bubble?
The ensemble combination of actors that Apatow has assembled id destined to produce some memorable laughs. The slew of high-profile comedic actors puts it in the realm of recent films like Rian Johnson’s Knives Out or Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up when it comes to the star power on screen. The film will feature, Iris Apatow (Knocked Up, Funny People), Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), David Duchovny (The X Files, Aquarius), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele, Friends From College), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up, Blockers), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Narcos), and Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick, Guardians of the Galaxy).
The ensemble additionally includes comedian Vir Das, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe, Deadpool 2), Samson Kayo (Our Flag Means Death), Guz Khan (Four Weddings and a Funeral), internet personality Nick Kocher, Ross Lee, Harry Trevaldwyn, and Danielle Vitalis. Newcomer Galen Hopper will debut as Carla.
Who are the Confirmed Characters in The Bubble?
- Iris Apatow as Krystal Kris, a Gen Z TikTok sensation joining the cast of Cliff Beasts 6 as the character Vivian Joy
- Fred Armisen as Darren Eigan, the eccentric new director of Cliff Beasts 6, who previously directed a breakout hit at Sundance (sounds familiar)
- Maria Bakalova as Anika, an employee at the extravagant hotel
- Maria Bamford as Krystal's mother
- Benedict Cumberbatch as himself
- David Duchovny as Dustin Mulray, who plays the lead of the Cliff Beasts franchise Dr. Hal Packard
- Karen Gillan as Carol Cobb, an actress who portrays the red-headed Dr. Lacey Nightingale in the Cliff Beasts franchise
- Galen Hopper as Carla
- Keegan-Michael Key as Sean Knox, an action star who portrays the Cliff Beasts character Colt Rockwell
- Guz Khan as Howie Frangopolous, an actor who portrays Gerard, the comic relief character of the Cliff Beasts franchise
- Leslie Mann as Lauren Van Chance, an actress who portrays Dolly in the Cliff Beasts series, Dustin’s on-and-off love interest
- Kate McKinnon as Paula, an executive at the struggling studio behind the Cliff Beasts franchise
- Pedro Pascal as Dieter Bravo, a serious veteran actor portraying a new character in Cliff Beasts 6
- Harry Trevaldwyn as Gunther
When did The Bubble Film?
Principal photography for the film began on February 22, 2021, and concluded on April 16, 2021. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom.
What was the Inspiration Behind The Bubble?
Although Netflix insiders have denied that The Bubble has anything to do with the upcoming film Jurassic World: Dominion, there are certain similarities to the highly documented filming of that production. Some of these are quite pronounced, as the production of the renowned dinosaur franchise was also filmed during the pandemic, with actors living together in a hotel while shooting. The filming of Jurassic World: Dominion saw its cast fixed within their United Kingdom filming location during the pandemic lockdown for months. Several members of the crew tested positive for COVID-19 during shooting, which led to delays, stops, and restarts during production.
Writers Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) and Pam Brady (South Park, Hot Rod) bring their expertise as co-writers for the film. The film is part of what we might see as a trend in cinema for the next few years, as it will directly address the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and use it as a motif within the plot. As a comedy film about the production of a film during a pandemic in October 2020. The Bubble is testing the waters of public reaction about including references to the pandemic in a comedic context.
What is the Plot of The Bubble?
The Bubble follows a crew of actors working on the sixth entry in the flying dinosaur blockbuster franchise called Cliff Beasts. The actors, filming in the fall of 2020, must quarantine together inside an estate-like hotel in the English countryside. We can expect the broader plot to follow the ensuing complications that would come from being locked down with an eccentric cast of characters, as personalities clash. The real production of Jurassic World: Dominion saw several members reportedly test positive for COVID-19 during the time, and the trailer alludes to some cast members falling sick, although in the trailer it is clarified that it is influenza which is deemed as “the good virus,” and not COVID-19. Other clues from the trailer include Karen Gillan’s character exclaiming “They’re keeping us here against our will,” before navigating across a lawn towards what seems like they could potentially be rescue vehicles. At another point, Pedro Pascal’s character yells “Send help!” out of a window. The presence of what seems like some sort of FBI or other kinds of agents within the trailer could point to an attempted escape or an escalation of events during the climax that brings in armed forces. Knowing Apatow and crew, we can expect a few twists and turns along the way.