'Arrested Development' movie not dead yet, says Jason Bateman

Fans of the beloved late television series "Arrested Development" let out a collective shriek last week when one of the former show's stars, David Cross, said in an interview that a rumored movie based on the show is "just not going to happen."

"I mean, there's so many people involved. Everyone's doing their own thing, you know. And everybody's aged. It's just not going to happen," Cross told TVSquad.com.

Not so fast, says Jason Bateman, who starred in the program as a widower at the center of an eccentric family.

"David says that it's dead, but it's not dead at all," Bateman said in an interview Friday while promoting "The Switch," a romantic comedy out in August in which he costars with Jennifer Aniston. "[Show creator] Mitch Hurwitz is busy shooting a new pilot with Will Arnett, and perhaps when they're done shooting and editing and he's delivered that, perhaps he'll jump into writing the script. Once the script is done, it goes to the studio and they decide if it's a script they want to make, and the actors will decide if they want to be in it."

Which is all to say?

"It's a long process. But it could happen and it's still in everybody's plans for it to happen."

As for Cross' remarks, Bateman thinks his former costar's words may have been blown out of proportion.

"I think he was simply saying, 'Who knows?' He wasn't saying anything definitive, but a lot of people with blogs and whatnot, in the interest of making a splash headline, stretched things a bit."

-- Amy Kaufman

Follow me on Twitter.

Photo: Jeffrey Tambor, left, and Jason Bateman in "Arrested Development." Credit: F. Scott Schafer / Fox

Comments

[Julia]

Hope the movie makes it. There will be a lot of dissapointed fans if not.

[dweeb]

My favorite show I watch it when I need a big giggle..I am in love with Jason! Bring me more

[Charles Freeman]

A movie based on a show that hardly anyone watched while it was on? Makes perfect sense to me.

[Mike]

@Freeman
See: Serenity

[Rob]

The movie would be great.... but I wish they would bring back the show!

[Rob]

The movie would be great.... though I really wish they would bring back the show!!!

[Cris Ranston]

Please - let it NOT happen.

[Big Jim Slade]

I never watched the show when it was on.

Yet having seen it in reruns, clearly it's in the top 5 of all domestic televisions shows ever.

[john]

that's it...i'm outta here.

[AD FAN]

That this programme was not loved by people speaks clearly of it's target audience, astonishes me that a country can love a programme like desperate housewives and not watch pure television gold like this was. It makes sense to do a movie because there is a cult following who have watched the dvd's. The show was also not watched due to Fox's horrendous scheduling of the show, Showtime did offer to pick it up but by that time people had decided to move on. Also it will probably be done by Fox searchlight for a couple of million and will most likely make a decent return on that.

[Max]

An Arrested Development movie could easily find a large audience if it's not completely dependent on watching the series.

[annie]

BEST SHOW OF ALL TIME. NO ARGUMENTS.

[Michael P McAuley]

Arrested was a WONDERFUL comedy...from Michael to Tobias to the banana stand....pllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeease make the movie.

[Sara]

FOX is the reason this show failed...poor, poor marketing. I also did not watch it while it was on air but it has become my favorite show since. I hope there is a movie but I would much rather it be brought back, although the likes of Michael Cera and Jason Bateman are busy with films these days...if it could happen to FAMILY GUY I would hope it could with Arrested :)

[fan]

Need something to save it? Spread the word on the most brilliant plan ever--Tobias having an affair...with Ellen Degeneres!