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It looks like Judd Apatow’s highly anticipated documentary on the late, legendary comedian Norm Macdonald is getting closer to our screens. We now have an official title and an MP3 rating for the upcoming Netflix feature.
As recently listed by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the official title of the upcoming documentary feature is Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald. Unsurprisingly, given Macdonald’s famously unfiltered comedic style, the film was given an award. R rating For “Language and Sexual References”.
The MPA rating is typically a strong indicator that a project is in the final stages of post-production, suggesting that Netflix may be eyeing a release date in the near future.
Judd Apatow at the helm
Comedy heavyweight Judd Apatow (40 year old virgin, knocked out) Is Directing and producing the project myself. While Apatow is widely known for his blockbuster comedy features, he has increasingly turned to acclaimed documentary filmmaking over the past decade, and has become a renowned chronicler of comedy legends.
His previous tribute and documentary credits include:
- The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (2018)
- George Carlin’s American Dream (2022)
- Bob and Don: A Love Story (2023)
- An upcoming two-part documentary on Mel Brooks.
A crowdsourced effort
Earlier in 2025, Apatow asked the public on Instagram for help in getting a definitive look at the former. Saturday night Live The life of the weekend update anchor.
“We need your photos and video of Norm Macdonald for a documentary we’re making for Netflix.” Apatow wrote to fans. “If you know of any interviews or interesting videos that you think we might not have heard of or wouldn’t be able to find ourselves – that would be very helpful too. Or just tell us your favorite Norm moment.”
Norm’s Legacy on Netflix
Macdonald, who tragically died of leukemia in 2021, already had a deeply poignant history with Netflix. His last project, Norm Macdonald: Nothing specialWas released posthumously on the streamer.
Self-shot in a single take in his living room, the 50-minute special featured previously unreleased material followed by a roundtable discussion with comedy peers reflecting on his incredible legacy. It served as a poignant final farewell, earning universal praise (including a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes) and receiving three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
This is in addition to his previous projects for the streamer, including the 2017 special Hitler’s dog, gossip and manipulationand a short-lived panel show in 2018 called Norm Macdonald has a show.
In 2022, the comic was honored at the Netflix Is a Joke event in Los Angeles, California, which attracted comedy luminaries such as Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler, Bill Murray, Kevin Nealon, and Judd Apatow.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 03: (L-R) Judd Apatow and Kevin Nealon attend “Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special” during Netflix Is A Joke at The Fonda Theater on May 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix)
We’ll update this post once we get the first look and of course, the release date.