'Arrested Development' Movie Happening, Being Written: Jeffrey Tambor

Before the question was even asked, Jeffrey Tambor had the answer ready, on command after years of inquiry.

Yes, the "Arrested Development" movie is going to be made.

"I think what's coming down is, certainly, the negotiation over my trailer is what I think is stopping people," he laughed.

But really.

"No, it's all going straight, everyone's on board, I know they're writing, and maybe next time this year we'll be having this conversation."

That means the Bluth family, the motley crew of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia De Rossi, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, David Cross and Tony Hale will return for the first time since their wildly-maligned cancellation by FOX following the 2006 TV season. A cult classic whose fan base wasn't understood or appreciated by FOX at the time, it's gone on to massive DVD sales and has inspired a consistent internet campaign for a big screen revival.

Tambor's confirmation follows creator/producer Mitch Hurwitz's semi-promise in February, when he tried not to get the show's rabid fans' hopes up too high.

"But I don't like to toy with the affections of our fans," Hurwitz said at the time. "They've been so supportive and we're so grateful, so I kind of hate to answer the question until I can say, 'Yep, we've shot it, it opens next week'. Otherwise it feels like we're toying with people and we do not mean to do that. It has just taken a while to get it going."

Now, fans can get a little bit more hopeful.

Tambor is in the midst of promoting his new film with Colin Hanks, the subversive serial killer romantic comedy, "Lucky," in which he, for once, plays the straight man, a detective working to figure out the mysterious disappearance of a number of young, blonde women from a small city in Iowa. It is a departure from his character on "Arrested," the patriarch George Bluth, whom, now, he'll also portray on the screen.

Classic Arrested Development Clip

Comments

[Kelly Higgins]

12:24 AM on 08/22/2011

Yea!!! So very excited! ... enough to pay for an expensive movie theater ticket!! I hope it is exactly the same humor as the show ... which I love! Will NEVER understand why it was xcl'd ... nnnnneeeevvvvvveerr...

[truthwillalwayswin]

10:13 AM on 07/18/2011

I hope Franklin is in the movie. "it ain't easy being white, it ain't easy being brown"

[Said One]

07:03 AM on 07/11/2011

I like Jason Bateman

[AlexandriaHeather]

03:27 AM on 07/11/2011

I'd feel better if the cast came to my home and toyed with me personally. One by one. Over and over again. Tambor first.

[bathroomonkey7]

08:48 PM on 07/10/2011

Let's hope this will be better than that new Adam Sandler movie. Fingers crossed.

[NeverHadFaith]

07:15 PM on 07/10/2011

The question is, "Will Little Ronny Howard voice the narration?" The movie would blow without him.

[milcah marcelo]

06:23 PM on 07/10/2011

Unlike other cancelled shows, this one had a finale which, while odd and crazy, gave some sense of "Yep, this will do." So the film news has me a bit divided, if the film is good it will merely be the cherry on the top, but if it's bad it might ruin it for me. But enough raining on my own parade, truth be told I'm as excited as a high school cheerleader.

[btdenver]

06:03 PM on 07/10/2011

I'm afraid I just blue myself.

[jonmag]

09:31 AM on 07/10/2011

love this show.! but really dont think its a movie

[bjork rules]

11:45 PM on 07/09/2011

Ehhhxcellent....

[SimianNation]

05:14 PM on 07/09/2011

What a great piece of news!

[shoegirl]

12:23 PM on 07/09/2011

I'm so excited...actually I just wish the show would come back...but I'll take a movie.

[Richard Burgwinkel]

11:59 AM on 07/09/2011

I hope there's room in the film for Gene Parmesan and Lucille 2!!!

[Roy Rudy]

05:48 PM on 07/08/2011

In a world of run amok politics, budgetary problems, and Media malfunctions it is of great reward that some humor pointedly concerning 'Arrested Development' has found a way to present just how 'Arrested Development' happens in the first place. Jeffrey Tambor may be on his way to increased stardom and funding for future events that may or not may be 'Arrested' in nature.

[montanadan]

05:45 PM on 07/08/2011

SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! ... SPEECH! SPEECH! ... (heh heh...) SPEECH! ... ... SPEECH! SPEECH!