# Nicholas Stoller
**Nicholas Stoller** is an English-American screenwriter, director, and producer of film and television comedy, best known for directing *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008) and *Neighbors* (2014) and for co-writing *The Muppets* (2011) with [Jason Segel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-segel).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831557/) Born in 1976 in London, England, he emerged from [Judd Apatow](https://www.edgepedia.org/judd-apatow)'s circle of comedy writers and has since moved between R-rated studio comedies, family animation, and streaming television.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831557/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nicholas-stoller-936179/film-credits)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976, London, England, UK[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nicholas-stoller-936179/film-credits) |
| Directorial debut | *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008), an Apatow-produced comedy written by Jason Segel[3](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/) |
| Signature comedies | Directed *Forgetting Sarah Marshall*, *Get Him to the Greek* (2010), *The Five-Year Engagement* (2012), *Neighbors* (2014), *Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising* (2016), *Bros* (2022)[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/) |
| Muppets work | Co-wrote *The Muppets* (2011) with Jason Segel; wrote *Muppets Most Wanted* (2014)[3](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/) |
| Animation credits | Directed and co-wrote *Storks* (2016); wrote *Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie* (2017)[5](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicholas-stollers-friends-from-college-and-the-dangers-of-nostalgia) |
| Television | Co-created *Friends from College* (Netflix), *Platonic* (Apple TV+, with Francesca Delbanco), and *Goosebumps* (Disney+)[6](https://screencrush.com/nicholas-stoller-interview-youre-cordially-invited/) • [5](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicholas-stollers-friends-from-college-and-the-dangers-of-nostalgia) |
| Recent work | Directed and wrote *You're Cordially Invited* (2025, Prime Video); wrote the screenplay for *Animal Farm* (2026), directed by Andy Serkis[7](https://apnews.com/article/2f04d182805ac7fdbacb8f2b018c8ea7) • [8](https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-to-release-animal-farm-coming-to-theaters-may-1-2026?msockid=1660a012f5e1688a0c12b6d7f4b16923) |
## Start in television and the Apatow connection
Stoller's break came through Judd Apatow, the producer and director behind *Freaks and Geeks*. At the age of 24, not long after writing for the Harvard Lampoon, Stoller was hired to write for Apatow's television series *Undeclared*; the show was quickly canceled, but the professional relationships it produced lasted.[3](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/) Stoller has described Apatow as his biggest career mentor, saying that without him he might have written screenplays but would not have made the jump to directing.[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/exclusive-nicholas-stoller-parties-on-with-bad-neighbours-2/)
His first screen credits were in this orbit. He wrote the Apatow-co-written *Fun with Dick and Jane* (2005) and *Yes Man* (2008).[10](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a4507/nicholas-stoller-interview/) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/) He also wrote the episodes of *Undeclared* that featured actor Jason Segel, which began a friendship and creative partnership that shaped much of his early career.[10](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a4507/nicholas-stoller-interview/)
## Breakthrough: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and its successors
**Directorial debut.** *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008) was written by Segel and directed by Stoller, produced by Apatow. Stoller recounted making a deal with Apatow during the shooting of *Knocked Up*: if he guided Segel through the writing process, Apatow would support him as a director.[10](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a4507/nicholas-stoller-interview/) The film was well received, and Stoller has said it was the project he wanted to make at that time, centered on breakups and relationships.[11](https://www.slashfilm.com/531647/nicholas-stoller-neighbors-interview/)
He followed it by writing and directing *Get Him to the Greek* (2010), a spin-off built around [Russell Brand](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-brand)'s character Aldous Snow, and *The Five-Year Engagement* (2012), which starred Segel and [Emily Blunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/emily-blunt) as a couple whose wedding plans keep slipping; the film was shot in [Ann Arbor, Michigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ann-arbor-michigan), the hometown of Stoller's wife, which figures into the story.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/) • [3](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/)
**The Muppets.** Stoller and Segel co-wrote *The Muppets* (2011), part of Disney's relaunch of the franchise, and Stoller wrote its sequel *Muppets Most Wanted* (2014).[3](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/) • [12](https://www.chud.com/73778/interview-writer-nick-stoller-the-muppets/) His involvement grew out of Segel's Dracula puppet musical in *Forgetting Sarah Marshall*; as a child he had worn out a taped-off-TV copy of *The Great Muppet Caper*, which he called his favorite Muppet film for nostalgic reasons.[12](https://www.chud.com/73778/interview-writer-nick-stoller-the-muppets/)
**Neighbors.** The 2014 comedy *Neighbors*, starring [Seth Rogen](https://www.edgepedia.org/seth-rogen) and [Zac Efron](https://www.edgepedia.org/zac-efron), came to Stoller late: writers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien pitched the idea to producers Rogen and [Evan Goldberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/evan-goldberg), who thought of Efron for the lead, and only then did Stoller get the call as director.[11](https://www.slashfilm.com/531647/nicholas-stoller-neighbors-interview/) He returned for the sequel, *Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising* (2016).[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/)
## Animation and other writing credits
Stoller moved into family animation with *Storks* (2016), which he wrote and directed, and *Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie* (2017), which he wrote.[5](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicholas-stollers-friends-from-college-and-the-dangers-of-nostalgia) His broader writing credits include *Gulliver's Travels* (2010), *Sex Tape* (2014), *Zoolander 2* (2016), *Night School* (2018), and *Dora and the Lost City of Gold* (2019).[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nicholas-stoller-936179/film-credits) He also took producing and writing roles on films such as *DC League of Super-Pets* (2022).[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/nicholas-stoller-936179/film-credits)
## Television and streaming
In television, Stoller was a director, writer, and executive producer on the Netflix comedy *Friends from College* (2017-2019), about six former Harvard classmates regrouping in New York, which he co-created; the series drew ambivalent reviews for how unlikable it let its central friend group be.[5](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicholas-stollers-friends-from-college-and-the-dangers-of-nostalgia) He later co-created *Platonic* on Apple TV+ with his wife, Francesca Delbanco, starring Seth Rogen and [Rose Byrne](https://www.edgepedia.org/rose-byrne), and *Goosebumps* on Disney+.[6](https://screencrush.com/nicholas-stoller-interview-youre-cordially-invited/) • [13](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2025/08/11/platonic-creators-nick-stoller-and-francesca-delbanco-writing-about-our-experiences-is-the-only-way-we-know-how-to-write_6744252_30.html) Since 2017, he has directed two feature films, *Bros* and *You're Cordially Invited*.[6](https://screencrush.com/nicholas-stoller-interview-youre-cordially-invited/) • [18](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/youre-cordially-invited-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi3ntc5)
Stoller has described the shift as a matter of business rather than preference. Rogen, during the first season of *Platonic*, remarked that a slightly more high-concept version of the show could once have been a movie, but, in Stoller's words, "it just isn't the business model right now," so such stories have gravitated to television.[6](https://screencrush.com/nicholas-stoller-interview-youre-cordially-invited/)
## Bros and the theatrical comedy question
*Bros* (2022), co-written by Stoller with [Billy Eichner](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-eichner) and directed by Stoller, is a studio romantic comedy about two gay men in New York, with a primarily gay cast. Stoller approached Eichner to ask whether he would want to write and star in a gay rom-com; the two went back and forth on the script, with one writing a scene and the other revising it.[14](https://time.com/6211889/billy-eichner-bros-movie-interview/) Stoller has called the romantic comedy his favorite genre, saying there is nothing more human or delightful than a really good one, while acknowledging that good ones are hard to make.[15](https://maketheswitch.com.au/article/chat-bros-nicholas-stoller-and-his-groundbreaking-gay-rom-com)
The film also put Stoller at the center of a wider industry argument. Around the time the pandemic began, wide-release theatrical comedies largely stopped being made, with many comedy directors moving to other genres and newer comedy films going straight to streaming or limited release; *Bros* was Stoller's first film in that changed market, and he has disputed the Hollywood view that theatrical comedies no longer work.[16](https://uproxx.com/movies/bros-nicholas-stoller-interview-billy-eichner/) His subsequent film, *You're Cordially Invited* (2025), starring [Will Ferrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-ferrell) and [Reese Witherspoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/reese-witherspoon), went to streaming: it debuted on Prime Video rather than in theaters.[7](https://apnews.com/article/2f04d182805ac7fdbacb8f2b018c8ea7)
## Recent and upcoming work
Stoller wrote the screenplay for *Animal Farm* (2026), an animated adaptation of [George Orwell](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-orwell)'s novella directed by [Andy Serkis](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-serkis) and featuring the voices of Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Woody Harrelson, and [Glenn Close](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenn-close); the film is scheduled for theatrical release on May 1, 2026, distributed by Angel.[8](https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-to-release-animal-farm-coming-to-theaters-may-1-2026?msockid=1660a012f5e1688a0c12b6d7f4b16923) • [17](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/new-animal-farm-animated-comedy-is-getting-roasted-already) The adaptation drew early criticism for changing the plot into a parable of corporate greed and adding new characters, including a piglet named Lucky.[17](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/new-animal-farm-animated-comedy-is-getting-roasted-already) *Platonic* returned for a second season on Apple TV+ in 2025.[13](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2025/08/11/platonic-creators-nick-stoller-and-francesca-delbanco-writing-about-our-experiences-is-the-only-way-we-know-how-to-write_6744252_30.html)
## References
1. [Nicholas Stoller, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831557/)
2. [Nicholas Stoller Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/nicholas-stoller-936179/film-credits)
3. [Q&A: Nick Stoller, The Five-Year Engagement Director, Grantland](https://grantland.com/features/a-qa-five-year-engagement-director-nick-stoller/)
4. [Nicholas Stoller, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nicholas-stoller/)
5. [Nicholas Stoller's "Friends from College" and the Dangers of Nostalgia, The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicholas-stollers-friends-from-college-and-the-dangers-of-nostalgia)
6. [Interview: 'You're Cordially Invited' Director Nicholas Stoller, ScreenCrush](https://screencrush.com/nicholas-stoller-interview-youre-cordially-invited/)
7. [Movie Review: Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon collide in comedy 'You're Cordially Invited', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/2f04d182805ac7fdbacb8f2b018c8ea7)
8. [ANGEL to Release ANIMAL FARM, Coming to Theaters May 1, 2026, Angel press release](https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-to-release-animal-farm-coming-to-theaters-may-1-2026?msockid=1660a012f5e1688a0c12b6d7f4b16923)
9. [Exclusive! Nicholas Stoller: Parties On With Bad Neighbours 2, FilmInk](https://www.filmink.com.au/exclusive-nicholas-stoller-parties-on-with-bad-neighbours-2/)
10. [Q&A: Nicholas Stoller, Esquire](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a4507/nicholas-stoller-interview/)
11. [/Film Interview: Nicholas Stoller Talks 'Neighbors,' Comedy Politics And Marketing](https://www.slashfilm.com/531647/nicholas-stoller-neighbors-interview/)
12. [Interview: writer Nick Stoller (THE MUPPETS), CHUD.com](https://www.chud.com/73778/interview-writer-nick-stoller-the-muppets/)
13. ['Platonic' creators Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2025/08/11/platonic-creators-nick-stoller-and-francesca-delbanco-writing-about-our-experiences-is-the-only-way-we-know-how-to-write_6744252_30.html)
14. [Billy Eichner Has Been Waiting His Whole Life for This Moment, Time](https://time.com/6211889/billy-eichner-bros-movie-interview/)
15. [Bros Interview: Nicholas Stoller and his groundbreaking gay rom-com, SWITCH.](https://maketheswitch.com.au/article/chat-bros-nicholas-stoller-and-his-groundbreaking-gay-rom-com)
16. [With 'Bros' Nicholas Stoller Isn't Buying The Hollywood Groupthink Comedies Are Over, Uproxx](https://uproxx.com/movies/bros-nicholas-stoller-interview-billy-eichner/)
17. [New Animal Farm animated comedy is getting roasted already, Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/new-animal-farm-animated-comedy-is-getting-roasted-already)
18. [BBFC, BBFC](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/youre-cordially-invited-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi3ntc5)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license