The cast of Maude Apatow's upcoming directorial debut Poetic License has cast a fair few nepo babies, and we are intrigued.
Maude, daughter of Knocked Up director Judd Apatow and The Other Woman actor Leslie Mann, has brought on board some of the offspring of Hollywood's biggest families, including Nico Parker – daughter of Wednesday star Thandiwe Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director and writer OI Parker.
My Old Ass star Maisy Stella – daughter of Canadian country music duo The Stellas, Brad and MaryLynne Stella – has also joined the cast, as has son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cooper Hoffman and Jake Bongiovi, who is not only Jon Bon Jovi's son but married to Millie Bobby Brown.
Another magical world awaits.
The cast and team behind the film are most definitely a who's who of Hollywood royalty. Maude has had to field questions about her “nepo baby” status, having such successful parents in the Hollywood industry, and the privilege that comes with that.
She recently said in an interview with Net-a-Porter that “at first I was sad”, when she learned of the conversation around nepo babies and the criticism that came with it.
“I try not to let it get to me because I obviously understand that I’m in such a lucky position,” she said. “A lot of people [in a similar position] have proven themselves over the years, so I’ve got to keep going and make good work. “It’s so early in my career, I don’t have much to show yet, but hopefully one day I’ll be really proud of the stuff I’ve done by myself.”
Maude also opened up about the advice her father Judd had given her about the industry. “My dad always told me acting is tough because you never know what’s going to come next. He always encouraged me to write," she said. "You can shoot a movie and really hope it will work, but you don’t know how they’re gonna edit it. To not have any control of that is scary sometimes, so I try to do other things.”
She also got real about her own securities and self-criticisms. “I’m always hard on myself. Sometimes I get in my head and think, Why would anyone want to hear what I have to say? Then I tell myself, It doesn’t matter, it’s just entertainment. I try to clear my head of any of those thoughts. You can’t constantly judge yourself — it’s such a creativity killer.”
Poetic License cast
The leads of the movie are set to be Andrew Barth Feldman, Cooper Hoffman, Maude's mum Leslie Mann and Nico Parker. Jake Bongiovi and Maisy Stella have also joined the cast.
Poetic License plot
Per IMDB, the plot synopsis for Poetic License reads as follows: “Two inseparable best friends, Sam and Ari, start to unravel as they compete for the affection of Liz, the middle-aged mom auditing their college poetry workshop.”
Poetic License release date
No release date has been confirmed yet, but the film is due to premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Poetic License trailer
A trailer has not dropped yet, but we will update this article when one does.
Phoenix explores the complicated backlash against nepo babies in a new documentary.
