CUFF Revisits the Cult Classic Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping for its 10th Anniversary
Still from Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Photo courtesy of the Calgary Underground Film Festival.
On June 3rd, 2016, the film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was released, combining the talents of The Lonely Island (fresh off leaving Saturday Night Live and beloved films by Popstar co-directors, Hot Rod for Akiva Schaffer and MacGruber for Jorma Taccone) and producer Judd Apatow (who previously produced another music-themed comedy in 2007’s Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story).
Sadly, like those referenced comedies, Popstar disappointed at the box office. On the other hand, all of those films quickly became cult classics once they hit home video and streaming, gaining legions of fans who maybe didn’t see them in theaters, but also don’t associate them with any sort of box office failure, either. The story of a film is never told on opening weekend and Popstar’s long tail of success is case in point.
Now, on June 3rd 2026, exactly ten years, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping will be screening as part of the Calgary Underground Film Festival’s Off The CUFF series, welcoming die-hard fans of Quaid Army (what fans of The Lonely Island’s podcast with Seth Meyers call themselves) and first-timers alike in what should be a very memorable screening of a true comedy classic.I discussed this momentous screening with CUFF Lead Programmer Brennan Tilley. He saw the film when it was released but it didn’t reveal itself to be a classic on first viewing, which is often the case with the art that stands the test of time.
Tilley noted: “It almost seemed too on the nose at the time. Harry Styles had just left One Direction, there were other docs on popstars at that time. With Popstar, this is commentary that is ahead of its time. The Lonely Island were making fun of things as they were happening at that very moment, where it hadn’t become a trope yet. We hadn’t seen enough of the real thing to find it funny yet.”
I can also speak towards the possible disconnect there was between Andy, Akiva and Jorma of The Lonely Island making a film full of songs, like they had done on their three previous albums and on SNL, but as new characters in a mockumentary format. The easy thing would have been to make a mockumentary with the three guys playing themselves, with songs sprinkled in. It would have been more palatable at the time, but it would have led to a lesser film, as it would have been yet another project of comedians playing thinly-veiled versions of themselves, which we have seen over and over again. To have Andy Samberg as the “so humble” Conner4Real, creating a comedy character from the ground up, was the more bold and lasting choice.
I also personally think a reason the film has held up much better than most comedies is due to producer Judd Apatow forcing Andy, Akiva and Jorma to make you care about their characters, The Style Boyz, rather than them just being joke machines with zero depth. Similar to what Apatow did as producer on the other totemic music parody film of the 21st century Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, you have to care about Dewey Cox’s “beautiful ride” to be invested for the 90 minutes, just like when the members of the The Style Boyz splinter off and (minor spoiler for those who haven’t seen the film) later get back together in Popstar. It’s not just a really funny parody of modern-era popstars; it is also a beautiful film about friendship, reflecting on where you started out and remembering where you came from, which the Hollywood machine that is feeding the ego of someone like Conner4Real makes him forget.
As lead programmer, Brennan Tilley has screened some of the greatest comedies of the recent era, most recently the Off The CUFF screening for Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. I can attest that it was a very memorable screening, and it’s why there is nothing better than seeing a great comedy movie in the theater. This is what Tilley said:
“It’s all about the shared experience. When I think of theatrical experiences I remember, a lot of them are comedies, because of that shared experience, where you are laughing with people. There is audience participation, especially with retrospective screenings like this. Not to spoil it, there’s going to be a fair amount of costumes at our screening. You don’t get that with dramas.”
Tilley added on:“It’s about how quotable the film is, that’s something you can share after the screening. Where you can talk about your favourite jokes, whereas for other films you often have to reprocess. Comedies get better the more you share and talk about it with others, as opposed to other films where you talk about how much it touched you… Laughter is such a great expression. When an audience is laughing at a joke together, there’s nothing better.”
CUFF brings that infectious, fun spirit together. It’s the spirit of you that can't wait to share your new favourite piece of media (in this case, a movie) with someone, and for them to get as obsessed with it as you are, which certainly extends to the wonderful care they have put into this screening of Popstar.
Tilley wrapped it with this great sales pitch for the screening: “It’s been ten years and it’s going to be a really fun time to revisit, whether you have seen it before or not. There’s no better way to see the film. I think it’s going to be the Rocky Horror version of seeing Popstar. If you are interested in this film and haven’t seen it, there’s going to be a core audience that is going to very much welcome you to the cult of Popstar that will probably change your mind. It is a wild ride and we would love to shepherd additional people as well as pre-existing die-hards.”
It’s going to be a wonderful screening. Also, if you show up early, you will hear a curated playlist of my personal favourite The Lonely Island songs in the theatre as pre-show music to get you in the proper spirit!