Tag Archives: Arrested Development movie

‘Arrested Development’ is starting production, exec producer confirms return in 2013

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Now everybody scream hallelujah! Executive producer Dean Lorey took to his blog earlier this week to share morsels of information regarding the start of production on the return of Arrested Development to television and the big screen. This is it:

We’re really doing this thing.  Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely and I are off writing the new season of ARRESTED to premiere on Netflix in 2013.  The original cast is back.  There are offices and parking spaces.  We’re shooting this year.  I wish I could give more specifics but, for the moment, even the schedule is being kept under wraps.  But it’s happening and it’s great to be back with my pals from the show.  More later as it becomes okay to release further details…

It’s not much, but official word like this will at least quell the fears of Arrested fans and reassure them that headway is being made on the revival of the cult hit show. They have parking spaces set up, people! Like Lorey concluded, more as this story develops.

[Via Dean Lorey]

Mitch Hurwitz says ‘Arrested Development’ returning to TV prior to movie release

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!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yup, that pretty much sums up what everyone is feeling right now. This afternoon at a New Yorker Festival event that reunited the entire Arrested Development cast, show creator Mitch Hurwitz announced plans to bring the short-lived cult TV show back to the air prior to releasing the highly anticipated movie that’s expected to bow, um, sometime in the future. The plan is to produce a “limited-run series” (think 9 or 10 episodes) that will shed light on what each of the Bluths have been up to since we lost them in 2006.

How did this all come about? In Hurwitz’s own words: “We don’t completely own the property, there are business people involved and studios and that kind of thing. Just creatively, 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. In fact, where everyone’s been for five years became a big part of the story. So in working on the screenplay, I found even if I just gave five minutes per character to that back story, we were halfway through the movie before the characters got together.” And thus the plan to return to TV was born.

As it stands now, Hurwitz wants to focus on “almost one character per episode.” He offered the giddy audience at the event an example of how this could work. The first episode might feature oddball Buster Bluth. “The latest joke we have is that it’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, and there’s all these scientists in lab coats and they’re waiting for somebody. Buster comes through the door in a white lab coat – ‘Let’s begin’ – and they say, ‘Oh, no, you don’t get to wear the lab coat. We’re experimenting on you.’ And then we go through his life and we meet the people in his life and maybe he goes to see his therapist who he’s getting a good rate on because it’s Tobias and he’s lost his license. We can do cross overs and things like that. But it’s an unusual style of show I think and we get him to a certain point of peril in his life and then maybe we jump over to like Maeby and she’s living with Cornel West … We’ll do this kind of thing that builds the peril in their lives until they all come together, really, in the first scene of the movie.” Ha! So you get it? Each of the 9 or 10 episodes will focus on a specific Bluth and catch us up on what they’ve been up to all this time. And then when the movie releases, we’ll know what’s up and Hurwitz will be able to tell a tighter story without wasting time catching us up on all the characters. It’s win-win for everybody!

That is, of course, if the studios play nice with one another. Hurwitz added that the project “requires studios to work together that don’t typically work together, film and TV.” It’s still up in the air as to whether or not the show will air on FOX again.

Now I bet you’re wondering about a time frame; when can we expect the Bluths to return to the small screen if the studios allow it? Jason Bateman, who played the family backbone Michael Bluth, said, “There’s business left to be done, but creatively we are all on board and have a very specific plan about how it would come out and what we would do and when we would shoot it. I think we’re targeting next summer to shoot it.” “Perhaps the series is in the fall. This isn’t my decision,” Hurwitz chimed in. Later in the day, Bateman took to Twitter and shared this: “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!”

So there you have it. Arrested Development is on track to RETURN TO TELEVISION and then make it to the BIG SCREEN. AD fans ’round the world are crying tears of joy today, as they well should be. Let’s just hope it all pans out…because it will…right?

[Via NYTimes]

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo talk ‘Arrested Development’ movie, tease new Will Arnett pilot

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The Brothers Russo should ring a little bell inside your head. They’ve been credited for directing the Arrested Development pilot and helming several episodes of that spectacular, short-lived series. Recently they helped kick-start Mitch Hurwitz’ other failed FOX program Running Wilde and today they are called upon to direct episodes for NBC’s Community. The talented duo sat down with Vulture to talk about their Community gig and that show’s upcoming epic finale. Towards the end of the conversation, though, Joe and Anthony Russo were asked about the highly anticipated and long-awaited Arrested Development movie. When asked why they were not chosen to direct the flick Joe responded, “We’re very close with Mitch. This is Mitch wanting to stretch a different muscle and get a more intimate approach to his own material. He understands the medium as well as any show-runner we’ve been around, so I believe it’s a natural progression for him.” He continued, “There’s always going to be some sort of collaboration, whether it’s completely on the periphery or more formally involved. Anything we can do to help him, we will do.” And if you have any doubt about the movie’s conceptual existence, please keep reading. When asked if he believes the movie will get made Joe said, “I think so. Mitch is very committed and very focused. I think the next six months of his life will be about that film. It’s a very complicated concept to encapsulate into two hours. There are so many stories you could tell from that [series]; it’s difficult to pull the thread through. But I think everything’s finally lining up.” Hooray!

In the same jam-packed interview, the Russo brothers let slip news about a potential new show for Arrested and Wilde‘s funny man Will Arnett. “We love Will,” said Anthony. “We’d do anything for him. We’re actually talking about doing another show with Will — something very edgy, something very different on cable. We’re talking about a very funny concept where there’s not a lot of limitations, where he can swear and do dangerous material. Hopefully HBO or Showtime, that’s what we’re talking about. Will’s just a funny motherfu–er.”

And there you have it; more proof that the Bluths are alive and kicking.

[Via Vulture]

Creator Mitch Hurtwitz aims to shoot and release ‘Arrested’ film this year

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That post title is music to your ears, isn’t it?  Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz told Digital Spy that he wants to shoot and release the long-awaited film based on the short-lived FOX series this year. But don’t take my word for it; here’s what the man behind The Bluths had to say:

Hurwitz: “We’ve started that process and it is our sincere hope to shoot it this year and get it out this year. That’s what we’re hoping, but a lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen. I want to keep whatever it is we end up with as a surprise, which kind of betrays the fact that we might not have the whole thing worked out! But I don’t like to toy with the affections of our fans. They’ve been so supportive and we’re so grateful, so I kind of hate to answer the question until I can say, ‘Yep, we’ve shot it, it opens next week’. Otherwise it feels like we’re toying with people and we do not mean to do that. It has just taken a while to get it going.”

The last time Arrested Development news hit, Hurwitz admitted he was “about halfway through” writing the script, and that was back in August 2010.  He continued, “We will make this movie.  The only stumbling blocks will be scheduling.  Everybody wants to play together.”  And, “It’s not going to be a big money maker.  It’s going to be fun, like a family reunion.”

If you’re not shaking with excitement, there’s something terribly wrong with you.  Not familiar with the show?  All three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, so you’ve got no reason not to watch arguably the smartest comedy ever produced.  Five times over.

[Via Digital Spy]

Creator Mitch Hurwitz says Arrested Develpment movie script is halfway done

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Since Arrested Development executive producer and Narrator Ron Howard uttered the final line of the 2003-06 FOX series (“No, I just don’t see it as a TV series.  Maybe a movie?”), fans of the cancelled cult hit have been yearning for an official press release stating that a movie based on the Bluth family is a-go.  Though word has yet to escape from the mouth of a studio exec, AD creator Mitch Hurwitz has kindly updated fans on the matter.  Hurwitz was on hand this week at the Television Critics Association press tour (touting his new FOX series Running Wilde, starring AD alum Will Arnett and David Cross) and he gave this straight answer to the press: “We’re writing it [the script]; we’re about halfway through.”  He sounds very confident that the script will get picked up and things will move forward as planned.  “We will make this movie.  The only stumbling blocks will be scheduling.  Everybody wants to play together.”  That is true; virtually every actor from the ensemble cast has publically state they are willing and excited to reprise their roles for a movie.  Hurwitz added, “It’s not going to be a big money maker.  It’s going to be fun, like a family reunion.”  That is exactly what I am expecting it to be, nothing more.  To see Michael, George Michael, G.O.B., Buster, Lindsey, Tobias, Maeby, Lucille, George Sr., and Oscar together again, for one last hurrah, would be a wonderful treat.  Oh, and who could forget…STEVE HOLT!  The only information Hurwitz would divulge is that political references are being changed (from George Bush to President Obama) since the script was “started it awhile ago” and that “the Bluths may not be vacationing in the Gulf of Mexico anymore.”  Beyond the rewrites, completing the script, and recasting the Uncle Mel character, “we have a clear path”, Hurwitz reassures.  I will be keeping my ear to the ground with this one; as soon as a deal is struck with final script in tow you will be informed.

[Via Reuters; NYMag; MTV]