Arrested Development: The Movie

[The Hitman]

Development may still be arrested in the big screen adaptation of the brilliant-but-canceled series Arrested Development. Mitch Hurwitz, the creator and executive producer of the show, which Fancast.com named in its year end look at TV in 2008 one of the year's 20 Best TV Shows Online, confirmed a deal is in place with Fox Searchlight to make the movie. And while he's already toying with story ideas, he cautioned casting is far from complete.

So what of the rumors that new dad Will Arnett and shiny movie star Michael Cera are the only two remaining holdouts?

"I don't want to talk about who is holding out right now because we might still work that out and I don't want to pressure anyone through the press," said Hurwitz. "Although I will say that Will Arnett is gung-ho, so there's a big clue!"

...

"I think in some respect it would have to pick up where the show left off," he said. "Maybe the benefit of that would be, if nothing else, just to recap everything. There are a couple of ways to get into it. I was even thinking about a big animated sequence to start. Kind of like how the Blake Edwards movies used to start - to kind of catch everyone up."

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"I've also been playing with the idea of doing a prequel for a while, which could be kind of interesting," Hurwitz said.

One where we might finally get a glimpse of Michael Bluth's wife?

"I don't know," he said. "There were a couple of areas where I always sort of held back, where I always felt like if I needed to deal with at some point, I could. One of them is definitely that story, and who those people are, and what effect that has on this kid. I don't know if we'd necessarily see her."

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So if casting hiccups prevent a film from being made, will it equal the death of The Bluth family forever?

Hurwitz responded with an emphatic, "No," saying that new Bluth family material could find a future home online, or in a special DVD release. "It's too much fun for us all. The fans have been so supportive and so sincere in their fondness for it. That's really the big motivation to make the film. It sounds kind of corny.

Full Article: http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/12/update_arrested_development_mo_1.html

I am honestly psyched for the revival of Arrested Development, but a little aprehensive, judging on how fickle "(Blank)- To- Movie Adaptations" fare, especially for a show with a very unique pace and style, and what would inevitibly be changed or rehashed from the series to better compliment the general movie- going populace.

Remember- this show was cancelled because most people didn't watch it.

(Hey, lookit! Hitman can type all smart- like, too!)

[UnkoMan]

Hmm... I honestly don't know if I'd want to see a movie. I just don't think that it would really work. One factor of people not watching the series was that you had to watch all of it for all the little jokes to be really funny... of course if you did then it was hilarious. The funniest show on television at its time. Except for a brief period at the start of the third season.

Which is another problem with movies. When they had Charlize Theron as a recurring character... well it was awful. She wasn't funny at all. But a movie may very well want celebrity guest stars left and right. Okay, okay, so Super Dave's part was awesome, and the Fonz was great, and it wouldn't be the same without Liza... Martin Short though? Eh. Could have taken him or left him.

Okay, so they might not rely on guests, and keep in the callback humour, but I don't know. I still feel like the series ended when it ended and that was fine.

Also, didn't most people not watch it because they kept constantly switching timeslots and not giving it nearly enough push as it deserved?

[BWPS]

I want more Arrested Development. It ended way too soon as it is definitely in the top 2 funniest shows of all time.
I'm confident that everyone involved can put together a great movie.
And Michael Cera, why are you holding back this movie? What are you chicken? KAW KA-KAW KA-KAW KA KAW!

[MJB]

I loved this show when it was on. I heralded the proposed move to Showtime or one of the other movie channels.

The rumor of this show becoming a movie instead has me perplexed. I am not one to dismiss a movie based on speculation, I prefer to wait to see the movie itself. I have confidence that the AD crew can put out a decent flick but I find myself a bit worried.

-MJB