JASON SEGEL - JUDD APATOW SIGNS JASON SEGEL FOR FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

JUDD APATOW SIGNS JASON SEGEL FOR FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

Knocked Up writer Judd Apatow has announced another comedy to continue his successful recent run of box office hits.

Five-Year Engagement will see Apatow reuniting the team behind the upcoming Forgetting Sarah Marshall, with Nick Stoller again to direct as well as co-writing the script with lead actor Jason Segel (Freaks and Geeks).

Segel - who starred as one of Seth Rogen's stoner friends in Knocked Up - and Stoller worked together on cancelled TV show Undeclared before shooting Forgetting Sarah Marshall - set for a June release in the UK.

Starring Segel and Veronica Mars actress Kristen Bell, the comedy tells of the heartbroken Peter (Segel) who travels to Hawaii for a much-needed break only to discover his ex Sarah (Bell) is holidaying in the resort, accompanied by her new rock star boyfriend (Russell Brand).

And according to Stoller, Five-Year Engagement - charting the ups and downs of a couple's relationship - could serve as a companion piece to Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

"It's definitely an extension of our desire to explore the depth of human misery," he told Variety.

"If Sarah Marshall and Jason's character had stayed together, this might be the sequel."

With four comedies planned for release in 2008, Apatow Productions seems likely to maintain a run of box office popularity which began with 2004's Anchorman and has continued through The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.