Although many have been skeptical that they could pull this off, Joel McHale, who played Jeff Winger, provided an update on a potentialCommunitymovie that should be music to the fanbase’s ears.
“Six seasons and a movie.” That’s what you’ll hear everyCommunityfan say to anyone who asks them about their favorite show. Ever since the show was canceled for good in 2015, fans have been begging for it to have one last hurrah through a feature-length film
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In an interview with ComicBook, McHale said that,in light ofCommunity’s successon streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix, there is a lot more smoke now to a potential follow-up film to the series. McHale previously thought the idea for a movie was in the abstract, but in light of its newfound popularity on streaming services, it could actually come to fruition. “Before when I’d answer the question, I’d be like, ‘Maybe, I have no idea.’ But now, with its success on the streamers during the pandemic, the interest has returned,” McHale said. “I would say it’s more likely than it was before, definitely, but it’s like building an aircraft carrier. You go, ‘We’re gonna do this, right? Yeah, okay, everybody’s here, we got the money.’ Now, this thing has to actually get built. There’s a lot more than just ‘Hey, let’s make a movie now, great.’ It’s a lot of moving parts. So I’m more positive than I was, definitely, but we’ll see. That’s a terrible answer, but definitely better than my answer two years ago.”
Communityfought low television ratings when it aired on NBC from 2009 to 2014. It was canceled and brought back various times during its run with the network. When NBC permanently axed it in 2014, Yahoo picked the show up when it tried its hand at its own streaming service called “Yahoo! Screen,” which only lasted for one year in 2015. The show also dealt with inner turmoil like the firing (and eventual re-hiring) of Dan Harmon, Chevy Chase’s tumultuous time on the show leading up to his departure, Donald Glover’s departure, andthe Russo Brothers departingto go work for Marvel Studios. If a movie were to happen, it would need as many of the show’s core elements to recapture its original quality.
It shouldn’t come as a shock that a possible movie is gaining more traction in light of the show’s popularity on streaming services. In spite of the show struggling with low ratings, it developed a cult following over the years. The shame of it is,Communitywould have been better served airing on a streaming service instead of network television. When the show found its footing, its style didn’t really meet the standards of a normal sitcom because it basically became a sketch show that parodied films and film tropes. That sounds perfect on a streaming service, but on a traditional TV network back in the late-2000s/early-2010s? Certainly not.
Most encouraging of all is thatCommunityis getting the recognition that it deserves. The show brought a whole new realm of parody to television when it was at the top of its game. The comedy was not only top-notch, but it was versatile. Whether it was exploring the multi-verse, doing claymation, playing video games, or knowingly doing bottle episodes, the show knew how to milk as much comedy out of each episode as it could. How they’d pull off a movie is anyone’s guess, but knowing what the show was like at its very best, it should definitely excite fans to see what they could do in a 90-minute timeframe.
Communitycan currently be watched on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
