'Arrested Development' to Return: Fans Overjoyed
The short-lived but highly popular comedy series “Arrested Development” is returning to the small screen and being made into a film after being canceled five years ago.
“Arrested Development,” which follows the lives of the Bluth family, ended in 2006 on Fox. Discussions continue between the show’s director- Mitchell Hurwitz, Showtime, and Netflix about producing the project.
During the New Yorker Festival on Sunday in New York, Hurwitz told reporters that he wanted to shoot nine to 10 episodes updating viewers on the lives of the characters in the series. The new episodes will have original cast members Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Portia DeRossi.
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Hurwitz also divulged that the limited episodes will lead to a movie, saying, “I have been working on the screenplay for a long time and found that as time went by there was so much more to the story.”
Further confirming the fourth season of the series, actor Jason Bateman wrote on Twitter, “It’s true. We will do 10 episodes and the movie. Probably shoot them all together next summer for a release in early ‘13. VERY excited!”
The “Arrested Development” original cast members as well as Ron Howard, one of the comedy’s producers, also attended the festival with Hurwitz, reported Entertainment Weekly.
Ron Howard added to Hurwtiz’s comments, saying, “In fact, where everyone’s been for five years became a big part of the story. So, in working on the screenplay I found that even if I just gave five minutes per character to that backstory, we were halfway through the movie before the characters got together.”
The show accumulated a strong following, and news of its re-boot has excited many fans, including celebrities, who took to their Twitter accounts about it.
“Best news ever to wake up to: Arrested Development to return on air AND movie!” Wrote the lead singer of The Roots, Quest Love.
Comedian Mindy Kaling wrote, “This Arrested Development news is so exciting I don’t want it to not come true because I jinxed myself by getting too excited #superstitious.”
“TOO MUCH HAPPY CANNOT COMPUTE,” wrote Twitter user Hannah after retweeting the post on the New Yorker Fest’s account.
The returning series will also include original cast members Will Arnett, Tony Hale, David Cross, and Jessica Walter, among others.
