Fox Searchlight (unlike Fox) are great with marketing and IMO could do wonders for playing this up.

Let's not pretend AD didn't use lowbrow humor. That's part of what made the show so great it had really sophisticated bits as well as cheap gags. Shakespeare did the same thing.

Sounds like Cera is a holdout, but my opinion on his reluctance was and is that he was just acting like a fan of the show. A lot of people here have expressed similar "can we recapture the magic" views as his. I imagine if the script is great, he'll still sign on. I doubt he has active reluctance towards making the movie just on the basis of returning to the series.

Yeh I was wondering about Cera, I know I read in a recent GQ that he said something to the effect of not wanting to do the movie adaptation.

Mitch Hurwitz (kinda) confirms that Michael Cera is the holdout:

http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/12/up...ment_mo_1.html

I wonder what would happen if Cera didn't do it? Do you think they would have a different actor, or just write out George Micheal? I'd be inclined to think they would write him out.

Perhaps Annyong strikes again!

Seriously though, they must convince Cera to do it.

Just write him out as being at Milford. I mean the credo is children should be neither seen nor heard, so it would be quite fitting.

I'll miss George Michael's awkwardness, but I can get that in every Michael Cera movie since he has the range of a dead frog.

They'd just leave him out. I can't see them using a different actor.

Speaking of different actors, it would be kind of funny if Marta made an appearance, played by yet another actress.

I can't imagine a scenario where Cera wouldn't do it; total guess, but maybe his team is waiting for a complete script so that Hurwitz isn't just selling the film to the studio based on his participation (since he's more or less the show's breakout star).

Hell yes... and since we are talking 'big-budget' movie, it has to be:

Then who would play her hermano?

Who else but...

That would be awesome!

I can't imagine Cera letting the film happen without him. Besides, the way this show is written, he would have more than one direct shot joke pointed at him if he bailed. I can hear Michael now..."No, Gob, George Michael isn't coming. As it turns out, he thinks he's bigger than this family which is sad considering his very existence came from us...well, me, anyway."

Quoting for hilarity.

Well played JuryDuty.

him?

Maybe they'll just have the kid who played Annyong play George Michael, and pretend that nothing is different.

Maybe they can just use the other George Michael. You know, the singer-songwriter.

Michael Cera's ego will come back to Earth in a few years when he is out of work playing the same character all the time (even though I did enjoy Nick and Nora's Playlist).

at your avatar. So brilliant.

Honestly, I'm betting it's his agent who is holding out. Cera is a big draw for the movie, especially to a younger audience who may not be familiar with Arrested Development. And now with pretty much everyone else on board, he/she has a lot of leverage to get Cera top dollar to "complete" the cast. I'd really be surprised if Cera didn't end up in this movie, unless it were because of scheduling conflicts.

These guys are creating a film: Arrested Development Documentary about the show and movie. Coming out this summer and they have interviews with almost all the principal cast and creators. Looks cool.

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Arrested Development Movie Will Happen This Year, Cera In

At a recent Upright Citizens Brigade LA performance of Word Girl, Tambor was quoted as saying the following: