Netflix drops Apatow's Funny People on 16 September, the film that never made its money back
An underrated 2009 Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen comedy that struggled at the box office but fared better with critics is about to vanish from a major streamer.
If you blinked back in 2009, you might have missed Funny People — the comedy-drama from Judd Apatow that never really found its audience at the box office, even with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in leading roles. Now, if you fancy a rewatch (or a first go), there isn’t much time left: it’s about to vanish from a major streaming platform.
Funny People will depart Netflix on 16 September 2025.
The heads-up comes courtesy of What’s On Netflix, and it’s not just Funny People on the chopping block — My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and a load of 30 for 30 sports docs are also packing their bags on the same day.
How did we get here?
Written, directed and co-produced by Apatow himself (who’s pretty much made a career wrangling Sandler and Rogen), Funny People puts Sandler in the role of George Simmons, a former stand-up who traded laughs for blockbuster movies. After he gets a serious leukemia diagnosis, he takes a long, hard look at his life and figures maybe it’s time to revisit his roots in stand-up. Enter Rogen’s brand of awkward charm as Ira Wright, a rookie comic Simmons hires as his assistant/confidant.
The supporting cast is not exactly shabby, either: Leslie Mann plays George’s ex, Laura; Eric Bana is Clarke, Laura’s husband; and Jonah Hill pops up as George and Ira’s flatmate, Leo Koenig. Despite such a heavyweight lineup, the film had a rough ride at the cinema.
- World premiere: 20 July 2009, LA
- General release: 31 July 2009
- Global box office: $71 million
- Production budget: $75 million
So yes, not exactly a smash hit. In fact, it didn’t even make its budget back. But its reputation is a bit better with the critics — Rotten Tomatoes shows a 69% approval from 233 reviews, which, honestly, is respectable for a grown-up comedy this moody.
Some intriguing footnotes
If you like production trivia, here’s one for you: Funny People was the final movie from Sandler’s Madison 23 Productions, which was a brief offshoot of his Happy Madison brand. The only other film that banner produced was Reign Over Me. Blink and you’d have missed the company altogether.