Joel McHale Says A Community Movie Is More Likely Now Than Before

Community actor Joel McHale dropped major hints that a movie version of the popular sitcom could be in the works. The show, widely regarded as a cult classic, first aired on NBC between 2009 and 2015, and gained accolades for its off-beat, irreverent meta-humor and pop culture references. Though the show struggled for ratings, it did develop a strong cult following, and received widespread critical acclaim. 

Following a 5 season run, the show was cancelled by NBC, before Yahoo! Screen resurrected it for a final 6th season, bringing the story to a climax. Since the finale aired in June 2015, several of the high-profile cast members have spoken of their desire for a possible Community movie. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown believes the movie is coming, and that the cast’s support for the idea means it is only a matter of time. Indeed, creator Dan Harmon has stated that a Community movie will happen at some point, but that it would not be “… until I miss Community.”

Despite all of the favorable talk, nothing much has come of it, but as reported by CBR, star Joel McHale has shared an optimistic update on the movie, revealing that the chances of it happening are more likely now than ever before. Joel appeared on an Instagram livestream with Variety last year, suggesting interest was picking up, and that several cast members, who remain close friends, had expressed an interest. According to CBR, whilst appearing on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, the Ted star discussed his thoughts on the film, but in true style, remained non-committal. Read McHale’s quote below:

“I used to just lie about it. People would be like ‘Is the movie going to happen?’ And I’d be like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ I think things are in place. People are like, ‘We’re game.’ We’ll have the money. So I think, like, uhh, a pizza, there is cheese being made. Someone’s got flour. There is water over here. This guy has an oven. And it could all come together. Or never come together.“

It was originally thought that Yahoo! Screen might commission a movie following the end of season 6, and the company even released a statement saying that they had discussed “future opportunities for Community” via their partnership with Sony. However, Yahoo underwent a $42 million write-down in January 2016, which meant Yahoo! Screen closed down and Community was cancelled. Now, the show’s stint on Netflix has given it a newfound popularity, and questions about the possibility of a movie have understandably resurfaced.

At a recent Community reunion table read, positive discussions took place about the very real possibility of a movie happening, with Glover and Brie interested. However, a movie is a bigger commitment, and any chance of a successful project will likely depend upon the schedules of the actors. Harmon recently revealed he has been considering a movie, and this will no doubt be music to the ears of the fanbase and cast members, and could well finally see a greenlight for a Community movie reunion spinoff. The resurrection of old, successful shows such as Arrested Development, and spinoff movies of prematurely cancelled cult-TV shows such as Firefly, suggest there would be an audience for a Community movie.

Source: CBR

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