I figured it was time there was a thread dedicated to the much hoped-for AD movie, especially now that Jason Bateman has revived some small amount of hope that it could happen after all.

Of course, this petition has been gathering signatures for a short while now, and it seems to be the best grassroots way for fans to register their desire to see more AD (short of buying the DVDs-- as gifts for people if you've already got all three sets.)

Previously, when Bateman appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, he seemed to indicate that the idea of a movie was now dead in the water-- and, heartbreakingly, revealed that there was a "good idea" for a feature film back when such a thing was being talked about in the immediate aftermath of the show's untimely demise. So it's nice to hear that he's still hopeful. David Cross is also on the record saying he'd be on board for any AD reunion, and I'm sure the same is true for the rest of the cast. A lot of them are doing good work and having great success, but there's nothing quite like AD. And given the seemingly shoddy way Mitch's pilot for an American version of The Thick Of It was treated by ABC (Cavemen? COME ON!), maybe Mitch will decide that it's a good idea to return to AD rather than put in all that effort making pilots that no network or cable channel will pick up. (Seriously, I hope someone involved in the Hurwitz version of Thick will leak the pilot so that at least people can see it...)

I've said before that the ending of the final episode ("Maybe a movie...") is either one of AD's greatest "call-forwards," or the saddest ending ever. Because we know that, at the time it was written, Mitch was talking seriously about making an AD movie. So it wasn't just a joke or an idle tease-- they meant it. And if it never happens, the final moments of the series kind of lose their meaning a little. I would think that Ron Howard would have more than enough clout to get an AD movie made-- it wouldn't have to be the most expensive movie in the world, and no matter how it did on theatrical release, it would be a sure-fire DVD hit. I would guess that the main thing that an AD reunion hinges on is Mitch wanting to write it. Once he puts together a script, I could imagine the pieces falling into place, one by one, as the cast gets excited about the prospect of getting back together.

http://www.arresteddevelopment2009.com/

Certainly interesting, and I have to think that the successes of Bateman, Arnett and Cera would have to producers thinking about the viability.

Who do we beg for a movie? Mitch Hurwitz? Ron Howard? Imagine Television?

I hope so.

The notion of 2 hours of AD is too perfect. Although as George Michael and Maeby move into their 20s, there might be a big change in the dynamic there. Both the kids look quite young so I guess they could say they were younger if they didn't want to affect the dynamic too much.

Would they pepper the credits sequences with "On the Sequel to 'Arrested Development'"?

Not just him, but Brian Grazer (one of the the exec producers). I know Defamer jokes about him, but I mean, the man made fucking A Beautiful Mind, Felicity, and 24. It's really gotta happen.

Long-time AD thread lurker, first (second?) time poster here :)

My concern is that while there's a small but vocal Internet fanbase that wants the show resurrected, there just aren't the numbers out there to make the producers sit up and notice. The cast, writers, and producers all seem to be involved in other successful projects right now, so it would really take a major push to get it to happen. Fan enthusiasm failed to save them once, is all I'm saying :(

So while I would looooove an AD reunion of ANY type (movie, xmas special, or 30-second youtube clip -- hey, I'm not picky!), I'm not holding my breath. But I'm loving (and sharing) the enthusiasm and hope in the meantime.

Here's the thing: the DVD sales are better than solid, even a year after the final season was released. People are buying those sets, and keep buying them, and the people buying them are pretty much guaranteed ticket-buyers for a theatrical feature.

And while an AD movie would no doubt be considerably more expensive than four episodes strung back-to-back, it's not like an AD movie would be a huge financial risk. Even it flopped completely on theatrical release, it's a surefire DVD hit. Seriously, the DVDs are outselling shows that are much bigger TV hits in terms of ratings...

AD got a lot of media coverage, and a lot of love from the TV critics-- but it also got a lot of people constantly repeating the canard that "nobody" watched the show. And while it's true that, by the standards of network television, AD got low ratings, it was still watched by a lot more people than most smash hit cable shows. At it's absolute lowest (opening night of the Olympics with-no-promotion Friday night lowest), AD still had more than 4 million viewers. And that's if you trust the Nielsens, which I don't. (I think the Nielsens are fine at getting certain basic trends -- ie lots of people watch American Idol -- but I think they also miss a lot of what people are watching, and they are way behind on catching up to the new ways people watch TV. For instance, now that they are finally taking into account DVR viewings and such, shows like The Office turn out to have more people watching them than they had previously assumed. I would guarantee that there were more people watching AD than the Nielsens stats of that time ever revealed.)

AD had a small-but-loyal TV audience on its first run. And since then, the number of people who have fallen in love with AD has only grown, as many, many people have only discovered it on DVD. I honestly think that the #1 stumbling block for an AD movie is not convincing producers or studio executives -- it's convincing Mitch Hurwitz to want to make it. Let's face it: if he had wanted to do it, AD would have moved to Showtime. The offer was there, and he was too burned out and was convinced that he could no longer pursue it as a series. If Mitch had had the energy and the enthusiasm to carry on, it would have happened. So it's really, really down to Mitch having an idea (which Jason Bateman says he DID have one, and that it was a good one), and having the drive to make it happen.

My hope is that Mitch will realize that the time is right for an AD reunion to happen. He's already tried to do another TV show, and it's hard to imagine him lining up a better one: remake of a smart UK sitcom (a la The Office), strong cast, Christopher Guest directing the pilot, satirizing the world of Washington politics. I mean, it sounds like the perfect blend of silly and smart that made AD work so well, and no one has picked it up after ABC passed on it in favor of Cavemen. Now, I've heard that Mitch is developing another TV project with Patton Oswalt, but if that one doesn't make it to a full series commitment, I would hope he would look to the example of Judd Apatow. JA spent the post-Freaks & Geeks/Undeclared years developing pilots for Dreamworks, and NONE of them made it to air, despite the involvement of people like Seth Rogan, Amy Poehler, Jason Siegel and many other talented folks. So, unappreciated in the world of television, he made the leap to movies, and we all know how that turned out.

If Mitch can't get a show on the air in the next two years, he needs to make the move to feature films. Even if he doesn't start out with an AD movie, he needs to find an outlet where his genius writing can be appreciated. Plus, making movies won't cause the same level of creative exhaustion that 53 consecutive episodes of AD caused.

ETA:

In an interview to promote Juno, Jason Bateman gives a variation on his previous statement regarding a possible AD movie:

This seems to indicate that Mitch is on board for it happening! Which is great news. Bateman clearly wants it to happen, or else he would just dismiss the question (as he has at various points in the past.)

The "ugly business stuff" might well be "how much does everyone get paid?" I hope the business end of things doesn't get in the way of it happening. As for the question of timing-- it can NEVER be "too soon," but it CAN, eventually, be "too late." If they wait eight or nine years, any number of things could make it that an AD reunion might be less than a good idea. I would say that it would have to happen within the next four or five years, or else it probably won't happen at all. And that would be very sad.

Really, four or five years? I think if something isn't done in at least 3 years too much time would have gone by for a plausible reunion/movie. I would think in four or five years some might think of it as a nostalgia type movie. I am confident that something will happen though.

That's why the guy who set up arresteddevelopment2009 has the right idea. It's the absolute perfect timing for it to realistically happen. Gives all the players enough time to get it organized, but it's not so far in the future that the show becomes a distant memory.

Oooh, it makes my day to see hopes for an AD movie resurrected. I miss AD so very much, and the giddiness I would feel before each new episode...



I agree, I'm still disappointed that The Thick of It wasn't picked up! I loved his cameo in Clark & Michael too. The world needs more from Mitch Hurwitz. *sigh*

Agreed: Mitch's cameo was my very favorite in the whole run of Clark & Michael.

"Can I tell you something about shocking the Chinese? These are the people that invented fireworks. You're not gonna do it."

Mitch Hurwitz, write a book, make a movie, make a deal for a series. The world of comedy needs you.

*sigh* Jason, don't tease us like this (around 1:40).

More teasing from Bateman.

Just signed the online petition .. I would love to see a Christmas special, at the least!

E!'s Kristin discusses hopes for the movie.

The People's Choice Award web site has a poll and comment board on this very issue:

http://www.pcavote.com/pca/polls.jsp

No new news, but it looks like a movie isn't totally dead in the water yet:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Arrested-De...Table-7086.html

More good not-news!:

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/12/06/jason...elopment-movie/

I had almost -- almost -- given up hope.

But hearing Bateman utter those words (“The ‘Arrested Development’ movie is not dead, au contraire...") is really heartening. And the fact that Michael Cera wants to do it should make it a Home Run. (By the way, I saw Juno tonight. It's terrific, and Cera and Bateman are both superb amongst an excellent ensemble cast. At times, the audiences sheer LOVE for Cera was almost overpowering...) With Superbad, he's pretty much established himself as the biggest movie star in the AD bunch, and could even be the factor that allows the movie to draw in people beyond the show's considerable (and growing) fan base.

Soon it will be two years since the end of AD, and in that time, Mitch Hurwitz has had one project ("The Thick Of It") which ABC passed on, and which no other channel apparently chose to pick up. I'm sure there are other things he's been working on or developing during that time, but it still seems like he's had a long period of recovery from the 24/7 workload of AD as a television series. Here's hoping that Bateman's overtures will go some distance towards getting Mitch to bring AD back. If the cast is willing, the audience is out there, just waiting for an excuse to buy tickets for multiple viewings.

I can't even fathom going to see this movie only once. I mean it would take me at least two viewings to even begin to understand the movie obviously since the first viewing will be a waste of time what with all the tears of pure joy that will be blurring my vision throughout the whole movie.

I'd have to go again to catch all the jokes I missed because I was laughing at the previous joke, and all the callbacks and call-forwards. Honestly, this is one of the most rewatchable shows ever, and the movie (if it surfaces) should be no different.

i completely agree. AD and Newsradio are the only shows that I can watch a million times and still laugh out loud at. Even though I know every joke thats coming up, it is still hilarious. Regarding the movie, lets put it this way. Not a single frame has been filmed yet and it's a definate that I will go see it in the theatre and buy the dvd the moment it is released. They don't even need to make a trailer for it, just say "Arrested Development The Movie" and the date, theatres will be packed.

I agree with you all, an Arrested Development movie would be awesome. Is there honestly any fan of the show who wouldn't want to see it?

Have any of you seen this (joking) article about potential plotlines for it? My favorite is #1, but the idea of there being a Little France is entertaining too.

Word. That would be enough to get me there on opening night. I hadn't seen that recent quote by Jason Bateman, but it's very encouraging- I had just about given up as well!

Perhaps, in the vein of Wee Britain, it could be called Oui France?

Hee! I wonder what their American restaurant would be like.

Maybe George Lucas can write and direct the movie and call it Star War.

Right now would be the best time to do a movie. The finale set up perfectly to allow real time off before picking the story back up. Michael Cera and Will Arnett are becomming big names for comedy films so they can be banked on. Plus just think of the number of mainstream stars that would want a stunt cast in it. Jonah Hill, Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Wiig are just a few that i could easily see fitting into a AD movie.

I really hope they do make a movie, if nothing more then as a slap in the face to the Fox execs. Nothing would make me smile more then to think of the exec at Fox that refused to promote AD when it was on air and eventually cancelled it, having to open the paper to see "Arrested Development: The Movie" number 1 in the box office.

So I may be behind the times, but I just found out that "they're" making a Dead Like Me movie.

It gave me a nice sense of hope that a short-lived/off-beat show CAN be film-ified. Come on, AD!

REALLY? oooooh yay!!!! I love Dead Like Me. This makes me so happy!

I'm still clinging to hope that there will be a movie. This strike could give Mitch Hurwitz a break and time to think about new storylines for the movie, even if he can't actually write anything.

The movie would be a sure-fire hit. Since the cancellation the fanbase has only grown, I myself know several people who got hooked on it after the cancellation. I would see the movie multiple times, and I would drag all my friends and family to see it with me, as I know almost all AD fans would too. There is no way the movie won't be a success.

Even though the principal actors have all said they'd love to do the movie, my concern is that with such a large cast, scheduling might be impractical. You really would need to get all 9 of the main characters together, and George-Michael alone is probably booked solid for the next year or so.

Not to be a wet blanket on this movie talk, because I'd looooooove for it to happen, but ... I'm just trying not to get my hopes up unrealistically.

Heh, Bateman is such a tease! Like Eugenia, I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but that doesn't stop the big dopey grin that appears on my face whenever the possibility rears it's head again. I think that I would have to see at least three times, because the first time I would just be so giddy that I was watching all new AD that I wouldn't pay any attention to the little details and callbacks/forwards that made it such a great show.

That said, I'm still trying not to get my hopes up.

It would seem that there are two big main factors determining whether or not an AD movie would happen. The big one, of course, is Mitch. He has to write it, or give a story to someone else and have THEM write it. He basically has to WANT to make it happen. Of course, if he DID want to make it happen, the next question would be: will any studio want to put up the money to make it happen? And that brings to mind the second big main factor: Michael Cera.

If he wants to do it-- and it seems like he DOES, and is fully aware of how large AD looms in the world of Comedy, and knows how important an AD movie would be-- then I think he will be a crucial factor in making the project look like it could be a real money earner. He's done two movies this year, and they both got rave reviews and made tons of money. Michael Cera has emerged as AD's big movie star, and if he's on board, I think there's no stopping an AD movie from actually happening, even if it takes a lot of fancy maneuvering to get all of the cast members' schedules to coincide....

Another article about an AD movie: http://lemonaiding.livejournal.com/14244.html

Go Jason Go!!

I was watching Hot Fuzz today with the fuzz-o-metre on (subtitles highlighting pop-culture references, callbacks/forwards, and the like) and it occurred to me that, storyline and styles of humour aside (although the idea of the Bluths trying to survive a zombie apocalypse amuses me), the Pegg/Wright movies could be similar to a potential AD movie.

The main similarity I can see would be attention to detail and callbacks/forwards within a movie and to previous related bodies of work (with an AD movie, it would be the show, whereas in Hot Fuzz it's to Shaun of the Dead, which in turn refers to Spaced) that are so multi-layered, you still notice new ones after several viewings. All of which just makes me want an AD movie even more (and I could see Simon Pegg doing a cameo as well).

I can't believe no one has posted this yet:

http://www.pagesix.com/story/big%2Barrested%2Bdevelopment



Go there, hear it for yourself-- Tambor sounds so happy, it makes me believe it's really, actually going to happen!

OH. MY. GOD. With Ron Howard pushing for one, I think this might actually happen. Sorry to come over all fangirly, but SQUEEEE!!! Now I really want the strike to end. I think I'm almost beyond the point of trying not to get my hopes up.

A little more detail (shocking, considering the source) on who that other member is...

Kristin of E!



There's more to the article, the first on her page right now.

I hope Ron isn't going to be directing.

Omigod, omigod! This is awesome.

I wonder who they WOULD get to direct it? Obviously, Mitch has got to be the controlling hand at the top of it all-- but does he direct? Or does he even WANT to direct? The dynamics of a feature film are so very different than an ongoing TV series....

The Russo brothers are an obvious pick, having been the show's most major directors... Paul Feig is another favorite... I would imagine anyone who helmed an episode might be in contention....

But I wouldn't rule out Ron Howard-- if he truly WANTED to direct the AD movie, he would be serving what Mitch and anyone else writing it would be putting into the script, and he would be fully aware of the style and tone of the series... I don't see any reason why Ron Howard wouldn't do a good job of it. (I know that people can toss out various RH-directed films that they don't like as examples, but I would argue that those films don't really have any real bearing on what an AD film would turn out like. With Mitch and this cast and these characters, the movie would be pretty difficult to foul up, even with what will no doubt be fairly high expectations...)

Taste the happy!

This seriously made my day (hell, my week). I knew Jason could get it done! He's my hero.

Universe, you've done it again! This makes me so excited.

Well, this just made my weekend. Now both of my beloved cancelled shows have come back as movies! (Firefly was the other one.) Yay!

Oh wow, that's great! That makes my weekend too.

I cannot even believe it. I am soo afraid to even believe it. I just watched the 3rd season again, feeling all wistful and angry again as to why this show is not on the air and now to think that it might be a movie!!!

First the Giants winning the Super Bowl and now coming here and hearing that there really truly is a strong indication of an A.D movie!!!

Taste the Happy indeed!!!!

It's starting to sound more and more like this movie is going to be a reality...hopefully!

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/02/12/with-...seen-my-puppet/

I'm trying not to get too excited, but all these stories are just making it so damn hard! I can't stop grinning! Thanks for the link, Marie Blossom. :)

I don't think it's possible for me to be any more happy than I am right now. I'm so happy that I can actually taste the happy (Tastes like chiken.. with club sauce)! What a fun and sexy time for us all!

So now that the strike's over, are they gonna get started on the movie?