Jason Bateman shared in an interview who would’ve made an appearance in the Arrested Development movie. The series follows the Bluth family, once a proud and strong unit, who lose everything after patriarch George Bluth Sr. is convicted of fraud. Michael Bluth, played by Bateman, must repair the family and faces one challenge after another.

Though Arrested Development ended in 2019, over the years, there has been discussion of a meta movie that never came to fruition. It would have seen the Bluth family played by major stars, including Matt Damon as Michael.

However, Bateman revealed in a recent H๏τ Ones interview that the Arrested Development movie would have featured plenty of other big stars as well. When asked by host Sean Evans how close the movie came to being made and who else would have been part of the cast, Bateman said:

I feel it was kind of close. The other casting would have been Dr. Phil for George Sr., for Jeffrey Tambor. Will Ferrell I think was talking to [Will] Arnett about playing G.O.B. Jonah Hill was going to maybe do Michael Cera’s part because I think they were hanging out from Superbad.

But it was cruising. You know, it was going to be the movie inside the movie. They were going to be on set and we [the Bluths] would like show up on set and watch, you know. Like, Michael Bluth’s excited that Matt Damon’s playing me, you know. I’d probably, like, give him too many notes. But I think that would have been fun, that would have been good.”

What Bateman’s Reveal Means For The Future Of Arrested Development

Despite Bateman’s revelation about the star-studded cast, there are no plans for an Arrested Development movie at this time. However, it can’t be ruled out entirely, considering the show’s history. Arrested Development ran on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2006, but due to low ratings, it was taken off the air.

Netflix revived the series, but not until 2013. While the streamer eventually released two seasons of the show, there was a five-year gap between them. Even though the final episode aired back in 2019, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Arrested Development could return down the line in movie form.

Our Take On The Arrested Development Movie

While it’s always good to have a series run for many seasons and have spin-offs or movies, they aren’t always well-received. Fan-favorite Gilmore Girls was revived with a Netflix special, A Year In The Life, but it was met with mixed reviews. Sometimes it’s best to leave things on a happy note rather than try to bring back a beloved series.

Another well-known comedy series, Community, has always made its intentions very clear. With their “six seasons and a movie” prophecy, perhaps the curse of revivals and missed opportunities can be broken. Until then, I will just have to picture Dr. Phil and Jeffrey Tambor having a face-off in the Arrested Development movie.

Source: First We Feast/YouTube