The streaming catalogue on Netflix is getting an influx of new titles next month, including the 2008 comedy classic Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
The movie has the distinct flavor of a Judd Apatow comedy, as he was a producer on the project. However, the creative heavy lifting was carried out by Jason Segel. The actor wrote and starred in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as Peter Bretter, the forlorn ex-boyfriend trying to move on.
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Apatow and Segel have a long history of collaboration, as Segel played a starring role in Freaks and Geeks, Apatow’s cult-classic high school sitcom.
The movie follows Peter’s vacation in Hawaii, where he goes to try and recover from his gut-wrenching break-up with Sarah Marshall, only to find that she’s there too. Marshall, played by Kristen Bell, is there with her new and eccentric boyfriend, Aldous Snow — played by Russell Brand.
The movie has left a lasting impression on the generation that grew up with it, not least of all because Segel performs an entire scene completely nude. The role-reversal of having the male protagonist excessively naked on screen was funny enough to viewers in 2008, even without the added punchline the Segel wrote the whole thing himself.
The movie was also a huge launching pad for Kristen Bell, who has become even more of a household name in the last year or two thanks to her starring role in The Good Place on NBC.
Nearly every other big star of the decade made an appearance in the movie as well. Mila Kunis played Peter Bretter’s new love interest, while Jonah Hill portrayed a waiter who served as comedic relief. Bill Hader played Bretter’s brother and Jack McBrayer of 30 Rock has a cameo, along with Paul Rudd.
The movie may have opened a floodgate for Segel, who went on to become a full-fledged author. Though he’s still best known for acting in shows like How I Met Your Mother, he has co-written several young adult novels with Kirsten Miller. He discussed the transition in a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he was promoting his latest book, Otherworld.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall come to Netflix on March 1. The full list of what’s coming to the streaming service will be available on Feb. 22.
