Many of us were first introduced to Seth Rogen close to 25 years ago when he played Ken Miller, one of the “freaks” in Freaks and Geeks, then, as part of Judd Apatow’s usual group of actors and comedians he liked to work with, in comedy hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, and the Rogen-starring Knocked Up. It didn’t take long for him to climb the Hollywood ladder, making his feature directorial debut with This Is the End, alongside co-director Evan Goldberg, almost causing an international incident with their second film, The Interview, becoming a producer on projects as varied as The Disaster Artist, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Boys, and Pam & Tommy (just to name a few), and starred in films by directors like Steven Spielberg, Danny Boyle, Michel Gondry, and Sarah Polley. Over the course of the 21st century, we’ve basically watched Rogen grow from a freak into an incredibly diverse star.
With The Studio, we get to see everything that Rogen is capable of in one project, as he is a co-creator, writer, director, executive producer, and star. While Rogen was once an important piece of Apatow’s crew, it’s clear that now, Rogen is a leader in a similar vein, putting together an impressive ensemble for this ambitious series, one that parodies and lovingly lampoons Hollywood from the inside. In a way, The Studio feels like the type of project that Rogen could take command of, one that his career has been building towards for the last decade.
What Is ‘The Studio’ About?

Rogen stars as Matt Remick, who becomes the new head of Continental Studios, and is tasked with making “movies,” not “films.” In Matt’s mind, however, these two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, in the first episode, “The Promotion,” Matt is tasked with finding someone to make a movie with the Kool-Aid brand. He could go with Nicholas Stoller (of whom Rogen has worked with on films like Neighbors in real life, and is playing himself), who could turn this into potentially the next Barbie movie, or he could hire Martin Scorsese (also playing himself), and convince the legendary director to turn the Jonestown project he wants to make into one about Kool-Aid. As we follow Matt in the wake of his new promotion, there are plenty of big decisions like this for him to make, as he tries to make Continental Studios as successful as possible, without losing artistic integrity.
Matt also has a team to help him make the right decisions. His right-hand man, Sal Seperstein (Ike Barinholtz), was gunning for Matt’s boss position, but is now pushing for more mainstream films, and executive Quinn (Chase Sui Wonders) has yet to get a film greenlit after years with the company, and wants to make more artistic projects. Maya (Kathryn Hahn) figures out how to sell and advertise these projects, and Amy (Catherine O’Hara), a mentor figure to Matt and who held Matt’s position before she was fired, still helps guide Matt in the right direction from time to time. Not to mention an impressive lineup of actors and directors, all playing themselves, who bring a sense of realism to The Studio, especially as we see their line-up for the year start to flesh itself out.
Each Episode of ‘The Studio’ Feels Distinct in Its Own Way

Image via Apple TV+

Both Rogen and Goldberg direct all ten episodes of The Studio, and it’s a great showcase for what these two can do together. There are plenty of long shots throughout the series, almost always set to the show’s jazzy score that almost evokes the pressure-filled intensity of the entertainment business like Birdman did. But Rogen and Goldberg find ways to make each episode pop in its own way. In the second episode, “The Oner,” Matt goes to visit the set of a film directed by Polley and starring Greta Lee, which is trying to capture an intricate one-shot take. But amongst this, Rogen and Goldberg turn the episode itself into one long oner, even throwing in jokes about how films like 1917 can often fake the look that the entire story is being told in one shot. In another episode, a mystery breaks out that turns the episode almost into a noir, another takes Matt almost entirely out of the equation to focus on secondary characters, and another has Matt arguing the importance of movies, all while trying to promote a shitting zombie movie starring Johnny Knoxville and directed by Spike Jonze.
Yet this structure can often make The Studio feel less like ten episodes telling one story and more like several smaller stories told within this film studio world. Thankfully, the series starts to tie everything together in the back half in an intriguing way, but it takes a bit to get there. Also, at times, these episodes can feel like they start to follow a similar formula: Matt cares too much and doesn’t know when to stop helping with these films, and eventually gets in over his head to a ridiculous level. Fairly early on in each episode, you can sort of see where this conflict will arise, but it’s still enjoyable to watch how these scenarios play out.
In terms of the writing, The Studio does do a good job — even though it might be trying a bit too hard — to show that it knows what it’s talking about in terms of the film industry. Part of that is Matt’s dedication to showing off his knowledge, like when he meets Paul Dano and immediately starts gushing about his directorial debut, Wildlife, or his appreciation for movies as tonally different as Past Lives and Encino Man. But for the most part, The Studio is hitting the right chords when it comes to speaking to movie fans, and that’s really what matters most.
‘The Studio’s Cast and Cameos Are Pretty Great

This is a great lead role for Rogen, in that he gets to show a more complex side to himself that we don’t usually get to see, and yet, there are plenty of opportunities for the more bombastic Rogen humor that we might be familiar with. Again, in the episode “The Oner,” Matt falls into awkward scenario after awkward scenario to a frantic conclusion that’s pretty hilarious, and naturally, there is a sequence where someone misjudges the amount of drugs taken. It’s a role that allows Rogen to slightly stay in his wheelhouse somewhat, but also push himself as the boss.
In an ensemble cast full of known talents, though, it’s Chase Sui Wonders, who is probably best known for Bodies Bodies Bodies, who truly stands out. She’s ambitious and actively trying to make a name for herself, but also gets entangled in the bigger mistakes and choices made by those ahead of her. While she’s often secondary in most of the episodes, she’s always a delight when she comes more to the forefront, and provides some of the biggest laugh-out-loud moments in the show. As one would expect, Barinholtz and O’Hara are great additions to this team, and kick up every scene they’re in a notch, especially when they get to play off Rogen. Unfortunately, despite her being great in pretty much everything, Kathryn Hahn ends up the weakest character here, which has more to do with the over-the-top attitude her character was written with, and less to do with her performance. It’s a character that you hope will get toned down a bit as the show progresses, but it never quite finds the right tone for her.

Related

The 10 Best Comedy Movies About Film Production, Ranked

Sometimes, making a movie can be funnier than whatever ends up on screen.

And of course, each episode of The Studio has a fantastic lineup of celebrity guest stars, each ready to make fun of Hollywood and themselves. Especially for those familiar with the films that Rogen has made, the actors chosen for the show likely won’t be a surprise, but it’s a lot of fun nonetheless. Not only is it a shock to see who this show gets — especially in the later episodes — but it’s great to see these actors poke fun at the entertainment industry in general. Many of the directors that do make appearances also have a history of acting, so it’s also not awkward cameos just for cameo’s sake. Each episode has at least one guest star that feels integral to the story being told, and makes sense given this world we’re in, and never like a way to use celebrity just to get an audience.
Hollywood taking on Hollywood in entertainment is nothing new, but thankfully, The Studio is more akin to Robert Altman’s The Player than Entourage. The Studio at first might not feel as cohesive as it should, but it’s all in the service of setting up these pieces before showing us the larger scale of the studio, and Rogen and Goldberg do this quite nicely. The humor is smart and informed, the cast and guests are great, and it all comes together in a way that’ll have you hoping for a second season. Rogen’s come a long way in a relatively short time, and The Studio is an excellent presentation of that.
The Studio premieres its first two episodes on March 26 on Apple TV+, with new episodes every Wednesday.

The Studio

The Studio is a smart, funny satire of Hollywood, with an incredible cast led by a fantastic Seth Rogen.

Release Date

March 26, 2025

Pros & Cons

The Studio is a clever Hollywood parody that is far more The Player than Entourage.
Each episode has a distinct style and approach that keeps things interesting.
This cast is fantastic, while the cameos feel essential, rather than just thrown in.

It takes a while to see what The Studio is actually building to.
Kathryn Hahn is unfortunately the weakest link in this otherwise great ensemble.