“Shrinking” Season 3 isn’t the only project Jason Segel, James Ponsoldt, and Apple have on the way.
Deadline reports that Apple Original Films has landed the global rights to “Sponsor,” a psychological thriller based on an original idea co-written by Segel and Ponsoldt. Segel will star in the film, with Ponsoldt directing, and Apple is ready to shoot it in California.
And as one would gather from the title, “Sponsor” is set in the world of AA. Segel plays Peter in the movie, faced with a choice after a terrible drunk-driving accident: prison or a recovery program. Peter begrudgingly shows up to his first meeting to find a sponsor and finds one in a charismatic enigma named Jerry, who may the answer to Peter’s prayers…or maybe the opposite.
There’s no word on who will star as a Jerrry opposite Segel’s Peter in “Sponsor” yet, but stay tuned for further casting news. The film will be an Apple Studios–Platinum Dunes co-production, with Segel and Ponsoldt producing alongside Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Alex Ginno. “Sponsor” marks the second film collaboration between Segel and Ponsold, the other being 2015’s “The End Of The Tour,” with Segel starring as writer David Foster Wallace.
“Sponsor” and “Shrinking” aren’t the only upcoming roles for Segel. The actor is currently shooting Marc Forster‘s “Anxious People” opposite Angelina Jolie. After that, he stars in Jorma Taccone‘s “Over Your Dead Body.” Expect both films in theaters in 2026.
As for Ponsoldt, other recent work besides “Shrinking” includes directing a pair of episodes from the upcoming Marvel Disney+ series “Wonder Man.” His last movie was “Summering,” a coming-of-age drama that hit theaters in 2022.
Stay tuned for more details on “Sponsor,” which should shoot in CA sometime next year.
