Arrested Development

Started by Weak2ndAct, October 24, 2004, 12:25:59 AM

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MacGuffin

Development on Arrested Movie
Source: Moviehole

Plans are apparently underway to bring "Arrested Development" to the big screen.

Speaking to TV Guide, star Alia Shawkat said "Mitch [Hurwitz, the creator] actually recently told us that there is a good possibility for a movie, and that he's talking to Ron Howard about it."

Ronny, of course, is one of the show's producers. He also narrated the series. If anyone can make it happen, Fonzie's pal can.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

Please let it be a 12 hour movie released in half-hour installments...

grand theft sparrow

Here's Charlize's next Oscar nod.

MacGuffin

Arnett on Arrested Movie
Gob and the gang may return on the big screen.

Fans of Arrested Development may be small in terms of a television audience, but their numbers and fierce loyalty just may translate to success on the big screen. After the cancellation of the show on Fox last year, speculation of a return on another network, most specifically Showtime, raged on for months.

At this point, the likelihood of a comeback for the show seems unlikely, although creators and cast haven't ruled out the possibility of a feature film version of the show.

While visiting the set of the Bob Odenkirk comedy The Brothers Solomon in Los Angeles this week, IGN had the chance to talk to Will Arnett, who Arrested fans fondly remember as the energetic and awful "illusionist" Gob Bluth.

During interviews for the comedy You, Me and Dupree, co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo purportedly mentioned the possibility of an Arrested Development feature film.

Sitting in the trailer of Will Arnett for a cozy and inviting interview, IGN asked the actor about the possibility. "When did they say that? Yeah, there has been talk of that. I don't know exactly where they're at with that. I've talked about it with Mitch [Hurwitz] and Jason [Bateman] and a little bit with a bunch of people involved with the show and different producers... I'm pretty sure that, obviously it rests on Mitch, any sort of project like that would have to come from him. It would be something that he would be really passionate about. If the story was right and you felt like that the story was right, and by story I mean money, was large enough, then he'd do it..."
 
Although the prospect of the show returning to small screens appears unlikely, we asked him whether he would still be open to the idea or if he's put the show behind him. "Well, gosh I don't know. It's hard to answer a hypothetical question."

"There are so many moving parts to that. For a long time, we spent the first three years that we were on, we spent almost every week not knowing whether we were going to come back on the following week. Living under those kinds of circumstances, it's not the most ideal. I think that, for the show, in a certain way it actually kind of helped us. We felt like that consummate underdogs. We always kind of used that fear and excitement and anger. I know that Mitch used some of it to fuel the storylines for the show and we used it sometimes in our performances."

"Then with the whole thing about going to Showtime, you know that dragged on for so long, I think that people... By the end of that process, we all kind of felt like the show was over, so I doubt very much that the show would ever come back in a TV show format. But it could live in a different life as a film. That is something that everybody has discussed fairly casually."

As Arnett transitions to the big screen in two Odenkirk projects, Let's Go to Prison and Solomon as well as the Will Ferrell comedy Blades of Glory, he says that the style of Arrested helped him prepare. "It hasn't been that much different. Arrested Development was really like shooting a little movie every week, a twenty minute movie every week."   
 
"Unlike most television sitcoms, we obviously didn't shoot in front of an audience. There was no laugh track on the show, so it was never about hitting the joke and then holding it, it was much more cinematic in that way. Of course it moves a lot quicker in TV. You don't have the luxury of time, you've gotta get the product out. In movies, you have the time to really sort of craft each scene and that's kind of nice."

So, does Arnett miss Gob? "Do I miss Gob? Yeah, to a certain extent I miss Gob. It was a really fun part to play, just that incredible insecurity masked by an incredible amount of bravado. But all of that just a total front for somebody who's not been loved. With that, as an actor, it gave me a lot of license to be kind of awful and simultaneously sweet. We always sort of joked that the writers created these pretty terrible characters. On paper, they were pretty terrible people, and it was always our job to try to make them likable. So I miss that experience, and I do miss Gob, that old rogue."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

'Arrested' breaks out on 3 fronts
Source: Hollywood Reporter

In what Fox Entertainment Group called an industry first, all 53 episodes of the critically acclaimed comedy "Arrested Development" have been licensed simultaneously to MSN, HDNet and G4 for a three-year period starting in September.

"The one thing that's really exciting about this is that we believe we're establishing a new marketplace, and that is absolutely our goal," Fox Digital Media president Peter Levinsohn said. "Not every series is going to lend itself to this kind of distribution, but we're looking at different ways."

As part of the deal, G4 has acquired basic cable rights to the series, which ran from 2003-06 on Fox, while HDNet will have exclusive high-definition television access to the show, which was shot in high-def. G4 will begin stripping the series in a primetime slot in October, while HDNet will air the show with two back-to-back episodes on Wednesday nights starting in September. There are no daypart restrictions for either network.

MSN will debut its presentation slightly later than the other two licensees because it is creating an interactive, fully featured environment in which to show "Arrested." All of the episodes will be available on demand throughout the license period rather than scheduled to be shown one at a time.

Levinsohn -- who worked on the deals with Steve MacDonald, executive vp sales, basic cable, at Twentieth Television, which distributes the show -- said the agreement is "groundbreaking" because it includes online as well as traditional partners. The deals are complementary rather than competitive, he said.

"We're satisfying three different types of consumers -- those that want to watch on their computers in a nonlinear environment, and Steven has put together deals for those who have invested in home theater equipment and those that prefer basic cable," Levinsohn said. "I think we'll see more of this sort of thing going forward."

All parties declined comment on the financial terms of the deals, but sources said the license fee was in the low-six-figure range per episode. On top of MSN's per-episode license fee, it will share advertising and sponsorship revenue with Fox.

"The beauty of distributing an entire series online -- especially a series like 'Arrested,' where the audience is so passionate -- is that we can build an immersive world around the show," said Rob Bennett, general manager of entertainment and video services for MSN. "We want to build something where fans will feel at home."

The revenue-sharing agreement was a bridge between traditional distribution and ad-supported online distribution, he added.

"We're firm believers in the value of advertising," Bennett said. "We think it's a long-term model that will serve the industry well."

Neither G4 president Neal Tiles nor HDNet president and co-founder Mark Cuban is concerned about the additional availability of "Arrested" on MSN, saying the show is a good fit with their respective networks' viewerships. Tiles noted that it makes sense to have an online component, considering that young males -- who he said tend to be big fans of the show -- are increasingly accessing content via nonlinear applications, adding that "it's a strong enough property" to air online and on television at the same time.

Tiles said, "The show is very much in sync with the persona of G4," which targets the male 18-34 demo. "It's clever, irreverent and witty, and we believe the hallmarks of the G4 brand are very similar."

Cuban noted that MSN will feature links to HDNet's Web site, where viewers can get information on how to subscribe to the network. He also is considering promoting the show's debut on HDNet with an "Arrested Development" night featuring selected episodes at Landmark Theatres, owned by 2929 Entertainment, which Cuban co-owns with Todd Wagner.

"'Arrested Development' has a devoted upscale audience that matches HDNet's audience," Cuban said. "We have had great success with similar critically acclaimed, 'smart' programming like (acquired series) 'Dead Like Me,' 'Andy Richter (Controls the Universe),' 'Boomtown,' etc. 'Arrested Development' was a perfect fit for us."

HDNet reaches 3 million subscribes on both cable and satellite platforms, while G4 is available in 57 million cable and satellite homes nationwide. MSN is watched by more than 11 million unique users a month.

Produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Entertainment, "Arrested Development" won multiple Emmy Awards but failed to gain traction with viewers. The show centers on Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), who is doing his best to pick up the pieces and keep his offbeat family from falling apart after his father, George Bluth (Jeffrey Tambor), is locked up for fraud.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Tony Hale Talks Arrested Development DVDs
Buster Bluth chats about commentaries and the final season release of the series.

On Tuesday, August 22nd, the third, and sadly final, season of the brilliant comedy series Arrested Development will be released on DVD. The 13-episode collection shows all of the twists and turns the eccentric and self-absorbed Orange County based Bluth family took in their final year, which included a five episode guest role by Charlize Theron and adventures in Mexico and Iraq. The DVD features several extra features, including deleted and extended scenes, a blooper reel and a behind the scenes featurette. There is also commentary on three of the episodes, including the finale.

Recently, in conjunction with the DVD release of season 3, IGN had the opportunity to speak to Tony Hale, who so memorably played Buster, the youngest and most timid member of the four Bluth siblings. Perpetual momma's boy Buster would have a number of noteworthy storylines through the years, as his character dated Liza Minnelli, joined the army and had his hand bit off by a seal... Yes, you read that correctly. Hale gave his thoughts on the critically adored show and the new DVD release.

Commenting on how he feels about the show ending, with a few months distance since it occurred, Hale said, "It's bittersweet. It was such a fantastic ride, we had such a blast and the people I got to work with and the writers I was working with... The whole thing was just a gift. I actually just got a copy of the DVD and you know, just looking at it, it's kind of bittersweet, but I'm just so thankful I was able to do it. It's one of those experiences you might never have again."

Hale was one of those who recorded commentaries for the Season 3 set, along with Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz and costars Jason Batman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Jessica Walter, David Cross, Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat. Hale explained, "We ended [production] in December, and I think we did the commentaries in June. We were able to reunite to see those [episodes], so it was great."

Hale said the mood while recording the commentaries was very positive. "We're all just such huge fans of each other, that it's just fun." As for his own commentary performance, Hale noted, "Usually I'm the one that's pretty quiet in the commentaries, because I just laugh at everybody else, so I love being around them, because it's just like one big show. I just sit back and laugh."

Commenting on what the show never could achieve a wider audience, Hale remarked, "It's one of those things were I loved it, but my parents were like, 'Ehh, it's cute.' They would love it like when I would do pratfalls or something like that. But I think it was just one of those things that some people got it, some people didn't." Hale added, "It's also one of those things you really have to rewind and catch jokes that you missed, and you've got to pay attention. So people aren't kind of used to paying attention sometimes with comedy."

When I mentioned that DVD is a great format for the series, since it's so good for repeat viewings, Hale revealed, "I haven't seen the show in awhile. I have season 1 and 2 and I don't really watch them. It's fun, because I haven't seen any season 1 shows since probably I shot them. So now and then, I'd like to kind of go back and see those."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Arnett on Arrested Development's Movie Chances     
Source: Now Playing Magazine

The phrase "ahead of its time" gets bandied about with alarming frequency with regards to failed, slightly unconventional entertainment projects of all types. The more appropriate phrase might simply be "misfiled," which is certainly the case with Fox's axed Arrested Development — a single-camera sitcom that, with its every creative breath, evinced a feel and fleetness of foot much more in step with comedy for which one would pay, either on HBO or the big screen. It's fitting, then, that after three turbulent years on network television, the dysfunctional Bluth family might eventually make their way to theaters.

"I've talked about it with [creator] Mitch [Hurwitz] and Jason [Bateman], and a little bit with the producers and a bunch of people involved with the show," confirms Will Arnett, who played Gob, a flamboyant and smarmy amateur magician whose massive bravado masked an incredible insecurity. "Obviously it rests on Mitch. Any sort of project like that would have to come from him and be something that he was really passionate about. But I'm guessing that if he felt the story was right — and by story I mean the money was large enough — then we'll [eventually] do it," says Arnett with a smile.

Arnett, for one, would welcome the return. Taking a break on the Los Angeles set of The Brothers Solomon, a comedy written by and co-starring Saturday Night Live's Will Forte, he recalls the character of Gob as "a loveable rogue," and professes he misses him, if not the accompanying occupational uncertainty. "For a long time, the three years that we were on, we spent almost every week not knowing if we were going to come back the following week," Arnett says, "and living in those kind of circumstances is not the most ideal. I think that for the show, in a certain way, it helped, in that we felt like the consummate underdog, and so we always used that fear and anxiety and anger to fuel some of the storylines of the show, and certainly in the performances. But the whole thing about [the series] going to Showtime — that dragged on for so long, that by the end of that process I think that we all felt like the show was just kind of over. So I doubt very much that it would come back in its original format, but it could live as a film. That's something that everybody has discussed, fairly casually."

While 20th Century Fox missed the boat the first time around with Office Space, another "misfiled" comedy that attracted a similarly devoted cult audience and at one point talks of a sequel or, ironically, small screen spin-off, look for them to do their best to make moves on creator Hurwitz and, once an idea is firmed up and the busy feature schedules of its ensemble cast abate, an Arrested reunion just might take place sometime in the next couple of years.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0q3OxqCLwzNESKhbdiSpZA%3D%3D

Hurwitz, Day in the 'Thick' of it
October 27, 2006
By Nellie Andreeva

After skewering affluenza in Orange County, Mitchell Hurwitz and former "Arrested Development" scribe Richard Day have set their sights on the mining the humor in bureaucratic ineptitude.

Hurwitz, the Emmy-winning creator and executive producer of Fox's "Arrested Development," and Day have signed on to develop the U.S. adaptation of the BBC4 series "The Thick of It" for Sony Pictures TV, BBC Worldwide Prods. and the Hurwitz Co. The British series centers on a put-upon member of Parliament who is continually harassed by inept bureaucrats working for the prime minister and other politicians and civil servants.

Sony is in the process of shopping the project to prospective network buyers.

Day, who was a co-executive producer on "Development," will write the pilot script for the half-hour, single-camera comedy and executive produce along with Hurwitz, Armando Iannucci, creator of the original series, and Paul Telegdy of BBC Worldwide. Hurwitz will supervise the project and produce through his Hurwitz Co. banner. BBC Worldwide has a first-look production pact with Sony Pictures TV.

The original "Thick," starring Chris Langham and Peter Capaldi, took the best new comedy trophy at the British Comedy Awards.

"Development" ended its three-season run on Fox this year after collecting the Emmy for best comedy series in 2004 and an Emmy for Hurwitz for penning the show's pilot. In addition to "Development," Day's TV credits include NBC's "Good Morning, Miami" and HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show."

Hurwitz and Day are repped by CAA. Hurwitz is repped by attorney Jim Jackoway; Day is with attorney Jared Levine.

gob


Redlum

Quote from: Garam on October 27, 2006, 10:44:47 PM
That's incredible news! The British series is great, but it'll be a while (if ever) before new episodes are made, because the lead star is currently on trial for peadophilia.


Did you see the hour long special last night? I thought it was the best yet - particularly because of the massive ipod based insult by Tucker's right hand man.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

I Love a Magician

Michael Cera stars in "Impossible Is the Opposite of Possible"


Which, of course, is a parody of:

polkablues

Quote from: I Love a Magician on January 03, 2007, 01:51:35 PM
Michael Cera stars in "Impossible Is the Opposite of Possible"


Which, of course, is a parody of:


Thank you for posting that, thank Michael Cera for making it, and thank the universe for existing in such a way as to have made my viewing of it possible.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Redlum

Sorry this is a bit random but I've had a bizarre memory today and I swear it came from this show. All I know is that involved the theme from The Greatest American Hero () and perhaps some kind of montage or short 'moment'. I hope I not wrong about it being in Arrested.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

MacGuffin

Quote from: Redlum on June 05, 2007, 02:21:06 PM
Sorry this is a bit random but I've had a bizarre memory today and I swear it came from this show. All I know is that involved the theme from The Greatest American Hero () and perhaps some kind of montage or short 'moment'. I hope I not wrong about it being in Arrested.

Sure it's not from Seinfeld?:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Redlum

no....but that was brilliant. thanks.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas