Arrested Development movie reportedly in the works

Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 at 11:47 AM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Every so often a TV show comes along that is ahead of its time. They don't initially catch on with the general public or are somehow victims of circumstance or scheduling. These shows sometimes get recognition but often it's posthumous.

Perfect examples of this phenomenon are Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life. Family Guy was almost another but it was brought back from the dead. The recent Jericho narrowly escaped cancellation.

Another show ahead of its time was Arrested Development. Now it seems the cancelled comedy will live on in a new format -- big screen movie. [As reader David S. reminded us, this is the same path taken by another under appreciated Fox series, Firefly, which made it onto the big screen with Serenity. What's up with Fox canceling TV shows prematurely?!]

According to Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online, the show's creators Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard are in the early stages of developing a film based on the hilariously dysfunctional Bluth family. The news was conveyed by none other Michael Bluth, actor Jason Bateman:

"I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started," Bateman says. "Any talk is targeting a post [Writers' Guild] strike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it's a question of whether the people with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed."

Jeffrey Tambor (George Bluth Sr.) apparently also pledged his support to the project on XM Radio's Ron and Fez Show. Dos Santos says others in the cast are eager to participate as well.

Of course it'll take brilliant scheduling to get this busy cast back together. Bateman has a burgeoning (finally) film career and Michael Cera is one hot property. David Cross starred in the phenomenally successful Alvin and the Chipmunks. Will Arnett also seems to have a comedy in the works.

Then there's also Ron Howard. He's got Frost/Nixon and a follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons. But then again, he might just be a producer (along with narrating, of course).

Superbad director Greg Mottola would be an excellent choice to helm a big screen AD. He directed several of the TV episodes. Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar did a few episodes as well.

Everyone chicken dance in anticipation! (Oh, and if you don't get that, you should check out Arrest Development's three seasons on DVD.)