Arrested Development…is no longer arrested?

With the success of other small screen to big screen productions a la Sex and the City, it was only a matter of time before other cancelled television shows followed suit. As many of you know, I’m an avid follower of many TV shows.  It’s actually sort of embarassing how many shows I’ve seen at least an entire season of.

Hint: It’s definitely in the double digits.

That said, it’s important to note that I catch on to many of these television shows after they have aleady gone off air or are on hiatus.  Just a few of weeks ago I watched the entirity of Showtime’s Dead Like Me, which only lasted two seasons. The crew behind the dark comedy about grim reepers living among the well… living, are currently working on movie versions of the show to be released directly on DVD. It’s not as nice as having the show go back on air, but it beats being completely cut off at the most inopportune moment. (Yes, Veronica Mars, I’m talking about you).

Another show I got into a bit later than some of its diehard fans is the witty wonder that Fox so famously cancelled – Arrested Development, a show about the dysfunctional Bluth family. Arrested Development includes Michael (Jason Bateman) “the bunch’s super ego of sorts”, George Michael (Michael Cera) “Michael’s son who has a crush on his cousin Maeby”, Gob (Will Arnett) “the failed magician”, and a slew of other interesting characters.  Bateman, Cera, and Arnett have seen recent popularity due to the success of films like Juno, Superbad, and Blades of Glory.  Though none of these films is quite as funny as AD, they do showcase these actor’s comedic abilities portraying other characters - err sort of. (Cera seems to only play “the awkward boy” in every film, but to his credit, he does it very well).

Now, back to AD on the big screen. Jeffrey Tambor, who plays Bluth senior on the series told reporters at the premiere of Hellboy II, “After months of speculation, I think we have finally figured out d out for sure that we are indeed doing an Arrested Development movie.” Hurray!

Tambor also said, “I am very excited about that. I love that cast and crew and I felt like we had more to say.” I couldn’t agree more. There’s so much more that could be done with those characters.

Bateman confirmed early this year that creator Mitchell Hurwitz “does not yet have a script, [but] he has a good, solid understanding of what he’d like to do for the movie.