It's no secret that we here at MTV News are dying to see an "Arrested Development" movie climb out of arrested development and onto the big screen. (As proof, we included it on our list of 11 in-development movies we'd love to see made in 2011.) The show's cast, creator Mitch Hurwitz and exec producer Ron Howard have been talking about making the film since the Fox series was canceled in 2006, and we've taken every opportunity since then to mercilessly hound them about it.
So when we sat down with Howard at the press day for his new comedy "The Dilemma," conversation eventually gravitated toward the status of the "AD" movie. And -- thank you, Jeebus! -- it appears that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
"What happened is that [Hurwitz] became such an important television superstar that he began developing a lot of pilots and he really wanted to follow through with that," Howard said. "So he put in a couple years doing that -- always letting the 'Arrested Development' movie percolate -- and now he's done that. I think this is really now front-and-center in his mind."
Two of Hurwitz's TV projects, "Sit Down, Shut Up" and "Brothers" were axed early on. His latest, the underrated Will Arnett-Kerri Russell sitcom "Running Wilde" has not received a back-end pickup this year. Bad news for Mitch, but -- according to Howard -- the best news for "Arrested Development" fans.
The years working in TV have also given Hurwitz, who had never directed an episode of the series but who had always been on tap to helm the "Arrested Development" film if -- nay, when -- it came to fruition, time to get some directing experience under his belt.
"He's also directed some of the TV, so I think he's feeling confident about that, and we all want him to direct the film," Howard added. "I think it's a real priority for him now and can be in his life."
Are you excited that it looks like an "Arrested Development" movie may be coming sooner rather than later? Tell us in the comments!
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