It has really been close to 20 years since Knocked Up first appeared in theaters, but the stars of that movie, Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, are finally enjoying some renewed popularity. The 2007 comedy that Judd Apatow wrote and directed is currently in 6th place on the Netflix worldwide streaming charts as of April 27, 2026. It is really in a very current position, yet still competing with many of the release titles out there today.
It is pretty amazing to look at when considering the fact that the movie was released before most Netflix customers were even out of high school. The male lead in the film is Ben Stone, portrayed by Seth Rogen, who is depicted as a lazy guy with no life direction who spends his time with friends and operates an adult website as well.
The female lead character in the movie is Allison Scott, played by Katherine Heigl, who is a career-driven and determined reporter for E! who recently secured a significant career advancement, yet also underwent a major transformation within her personal life at the same time.
A single crazy night of drinking and a single impulsive act of stupidity have resulted in the characters of Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl finding out that they will be having a baby together, resulting in one big mess with lots of comedy mixed in.
The film had its first showing at South by Southwest on March 12, 2007, and later had its official wide release in the US on June 1, 2007. The movie did big business at the Box Office as it opened in second place behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and ended up making approximately $220 million worldwide, in comparison to its $25 million production costs.
What a huge profit for what amounted to being a mid-sized budget comedy from a filmmaker who, at that time, was still proving himself within the film business. And critics shared the same positive response to the Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl starrer film as the public did. Currently, it has earned an 89 critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes as well as an 85 rating on Metacritic. This makes great numbers for any movie, let alone for a comedy with a raunchy aspect.
Why does the film starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl still connect with people today?
This is an example of why this movie, with stars Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, finds new viewers every time it is released in a new place. Many critics said the movie was funny, touching, and unique in its portrayal of both dating and raising kids. Also, many said that while the movie was sometimes raunchy, it had a very smart message beneath that raunchiness. In addition to that, critics praised the performance of both Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl.
Apatow’s film cared about its characters, whereas many comedies from that time did not. Ben (Seth Rogen), Allison (Katherine Heigl), and many other characters in this film develop personality traits beyond simple comedic relief through their interactions with each other. Their ability to bring out emotions from one another creates an authentic form of craziness that is relatable to viewers.
The supporting cast of Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, and others contribute to making this film relatable as well. Many members of the cast have since grown to become stars in their own right and enjoyed much success in Hollywood due to the release of this film, including Seth Rogen’s rise to prominence following the original release date.
Viewers are drawn back to this film for nostalgia and to relive the discovery of this group of comics as they became successful through the making of this film.
Why are such older comedies winning on streaming platforms?
This movie, starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen, is now on revival streaming through Netflix, and it represents something more than just the place audiences are at today. There has been a marked decline in R-rated comedies coming out of Hollywood because studios are making moves towards producing a large number of films that attract every single person, and thus, these movies have become almost non-existent.
The people who were exposed to (grew up with) these types of films have now aged to about their 30s and 40s and are looking for these films, while the younger generation of viewers who haven’t seen them previously are now discovering these films for the first time and discovering that they continue to be relevant.
Netflix is really good at finding ways to make older movies available to an audience that would have otherwise been forgotten about. Because of their ability to make these movies accessible, Netflix gets people talking about these movies again, just because they are easy to find on Netflix. And oftentimes, we don’t realize how important that accessibility can be. A film can get an audience on a streaming platform; all it needs to do is exist there and be a quality film to get people’s attention. And Knocked Up does both of those things.
The movie generated a sort of sequel, too. In 2012, Apatow came out with This Is 40, and it shows what happens to Rudd and Mann’s characters, Pete and Debbie, now that they are both married and turning 40 together. It is considered more of a spiritual companion piece than a sequel, but it demonstrates how much fans were connected to those two specific characters.
Knocked Up features Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. Right now, you can find it streaming on Netflix. So, if a raunchy comedy sounds fun, you might consider giving this one a watch!
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Edited by Sroban Ghosh