In May 2007, Cera appeared in a staged comedy video that shows him being fired from the lead role of the film "Knocked Up" after belittling and arguing with its director Judd Apatow, in a scene that mocks the David O. Russell blow up on the set of "I Heart Huckabees". Cera then starred in the Apatow-produced teen comedy "Superbad" alongside Jonah Hill. Their characters in the film – two virgin teenagers about to graduate from high school whose party plans go awry – were based on its writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. "Superbad" was released in cinemas in August 2007, topping the US box office for two weeks in a row. Cera's performance was met with critical acclaim, with "The Atlantic" opining that the film "belongs to Michael Cera" for capturing "teenage sexual abashment as indelibly as he did in the role of George Michael", while "The New York Times" felt he was "excellent" and CNN praised Cera and Hill for playing "off each other beautifully".