Will Arnett: 'Arrested Development' Shoots This Year

I remember the one time I interviewed Will Arnett (for Blades of Glory, so we're both real proud of that connection), and even then he was talking about filming an Arrested Development movie. That was about a year after the show came to an abrupt end, and it seems like ever since, this "movie" has been "in the works." Arnett tells ComingSoon that - brace yourself - the Arrested Development film will happen. Of course, next month will be the four-year anniversary of the end of the show, and I'm not sure if the wait (five years or so if it happens quickly) is a good thing or not. "I'm so glad you asked that," Arnett said facetiously after being asked for the umpteen thousandth time about the movie. "It's very refreshing. We are working on the movie right now, yeah," he confirmed. "We don't have a completed script yet, but it's forthcoming and we're going to make the movie this year." To be fair, the show's creator, Mitch Hurwitz, has been working on other stuff, and Jason Bateman, Arnett, and Michael Cera have all had their careers take off as a result of the critically acclaimed but ratings-starved show. And the DVDs have helped Arrested Development gain an even broader audience. I don't think any studio, even Fox, would have paid much to make this movie in 2007. It's a different situation now, although this film wouldn't make $100 million or anything. You'd still be extremely lucky to hit half that much. And then there's the age-old litmus test: Is your script good enough to make the movie in the first place. If not, please don't bother. Jason Bateman said a few months ago that Fox Searchlight would make the movie, it's going to be low-budget, kind of like a 90-minute episode of the show. The impulse might be to load it down with all the side characters - Martin Short, Ed Begley, Carl Weathers, and so on - but I think it should be the Bluths and maybe Judy Greer, Henry Winkler, and/or Liza Minnelli. Here's one thing Arnett said about the production, though, that might surprise you. It's apparently shooting - at least partially - in Rome. I hadn't thought of it before, but how great would it be if the Bluths did battle with the Priory of Sion? We find out Buster is really the last known descendant of Jesus? That would rule.

Comments

[Jeremy]

In my opinion the most underrated TV show in history...well at least from what I know of my 26 years on the planet. It still amazes me how many people proclaim how much they love Micheal Cera, but have never seen a single episode of Arrested Development. I tend to watch TV or a movie while i'm going to sleep, and had to resort to avoiding this show in any pre-sleep activity, as it's nearly impossible to stop after just one episode when there's a whole season on DVD in front of you.

[Vince]

Good point Jeremy; I have a friend who loves Michael Cera in "Nick & Norah" and "Juno", but has yet to touch an episode of "Arrested Development", which always leaves me to say "I knew Michael Cera BEFORE he was Michael Cera!".

I don't think that this'll be a major hit, or even a mid-level one for Fox. Depending on the budget, it could do well, but they need to not "Hollywood-ize" a la "Sex and the City" and just focus on bringing back the principal characters and making a 90-minute follow-up episode (you hear that "Sex and the City"? An EPISODE, not a whole damn SEASON.) to our beloved Bluths.