Previously On 'Arrested Development': Tracking The Movie's Progress

[NelsonG]

[img]http://moviesblog.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/arrested.jpg[/img]

After years and years of hoping, wishing, prepping our cut-off jean shorts and blueing ourselves, it finally looks like an [url="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671848/arrested-development-movie.jhtml"]“Arrested Development” movie[/url] is going to happen, and there’s an added bonus: creator Mitch Hurwitz and the cast confirmed over the weekend that there will also be a new nine or ten episode season before the movies’ release.

Now that the agony is over, let’s take a look back at the ups and downs of “AD” movie news over the years — and believe us, there’ve been [i]a lot[/i] of them.

[b]»[/b] Back in early 2009, Michael Cera put a squash on the movie rumors, saying it was “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/01/20/michael-cera-on-arrested-development-movie-more-hypothetical-than-people-think/"]more hypothetical than people think[/url]” and that there wasn’t a script yet.

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[b]»[/b] But a week later, [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/01/30/ron-howard-not-worried-about-getting-michael-cera-for-arrested-development-movie/"]Ron Howard said he wasn’t worried[/url] about getting the then breakout star Cera back for an “Arrested Development” movie.

[b]»[/b] Howard reassured fans again at the Oscars that year that the movie was “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/02/23/exclusive-ron-howard-on-arrested-development-film-its-going-ahead/"]going ahead[/url]” and that creator Mitch Hurwitz’s script was coming along.

[b]»[/b] At the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, Jason Bateman took back saying that the “ship has sailed” and said [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/09/18/jason-bateman-on-arrested-development-perhaps-that-ship-has-sailed/"]the screenplay was roughly half-way done[/url]... the way it would stay for years.

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[b]»[/b] While promoting “Youth in Revolt” back in December 2009, Cera told MTV he hoped to shoot the movie [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/12/18/arrested-development-star-michael-cera-is-hopeful-that-the-movie-will-shoot-sometime-next-year/"]sometime in the next year[/url]. Oh, if only!

[b]»[/b] Then Tony Hale, aka Buster Bluth, confirmed at Sundance a few weeks later that the entire cast, [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/01/24/arrested-development-movie-still-on-track-malin-akerman-campaigns-for-role/"]including Liza Minnelli[/url], was on board and just waiting for the script.

[b]»[/b] On the red carpet at the 2010 Oscars, Bateman said that Hurwitz and Will Arnett’s work on the doomed “Running Wilde” would [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/03/10/mitch-hurwitzwill-arnett-sitcom-may-push-arrested-development-movie-another-few-months-jason-bateman-says/"]push filming back[/url] a few months, but the cast was still hopeful to shoot by the year’s end.

[b]»[/b] As predicted, Arnett confirmed that [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/05/19/will-arnett-really-truly-believes-that-an-arrested-development-movie-will-happen/"]shooting was pushed back due to “Running Wilde”[/url] but was still, despite rumors, going to happen.

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[b]»[/b] Cera pitched an idea to Hurwitz at San Diego Comic Con in July 2010 for what he thinks George Michael’s been up to. Here’s a hint: [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/07/30/michael-cera-has-an-arrested-development-update-and-a-pitch-for-creator-mitch-hurwitz/"]he’s kind of creepy now[/url].

[b]»[/b] David Cross said during an interview for “Megamind” that he knows the concept of the story and that [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/11/04/david-cross-arrested-development-movie-plot/"]it’s “awesome.” [/url]

[b]»[/b] After FOX cancelled “Running Wilde,” Ron Howard said the “Arrested Development” movie was now “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/01/11/arrested-development-movie-a-priority-ron-howard/"]front and center[/url]” in Hurwitz’s focus.

[b]»[/b] But things looked pretty grim when David Cross said he was “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/02/27/arrested-development-movie-david-cross/"]not that optimistic[/url]” back in February of this year.

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[b]»[/b] Confirming what we had previously heard from Cross almost a year earlier, [url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/03/09/jason-bateman-arrested-development/"]Bateman said he knew the plot[/url], and he takes Cross’ compliment a step further. It’s “incredible,” he says.

[b]»[/b] “Bridesmaids” and occasional “AD” director Paul Feig said that news about the script is like “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/03/17/arrested-development-movie-director/"]a Bigfoot sighting.[/url]” You’re telling us!

[b]»[/b] This past June while promoting “Horrible Bosses,” Batman gave more of the same and told MTV that “[url="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/06/02/arrested-development-jason-bateman-horrible-bosses/"]everybody creatively wants to do it.[/url]” Were you holding out on us, Bateman?

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There are still many questions to answer, but for now, it looks like Netflix and Showtime are the two biggest players in the battle for the next season of “Arrested Development,” which would set the table for the long-awaited movie. When Hurtwitz unveiled his plan at the New Yorker Festival, he said he hoped to take an unorthodox approach to the mini-series. He wants to focus on one character per episode, letting viewers know what each character has been up to since 2006.

Check back with MTV News for all the latest “Arrested Development” news as more info on the reunion comes out.



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