“Community” is back in session.
After much hedging from series creator Dan Harmon, the movie adaptation of the beloved NBC series is officially a go. Peacock has ordered the film, snapping it up out of what it says was a highly competitive situation. Fans have been demanding a movie followup since the fan-led social media movement #SixSeasonsAndAMovie launched in 2014.
Original stars Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong will reunite with Joel McHale as an executive producer; Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Donald Glover are not listed among the movie’s cast. When IndieWire asked about their apparent lack of involvement in the project, a Peacock spokesperson responded: “These are the only details we are releasing at this time.”
McHale tagged Glover among his other cast mates when he posted the below tease on Twitter the morning of the movie announcement. Chase, who is also on Twitter, was not tagged.
The “Community” movie will come from original series creator Dan Harmon, executive producer Andrew Guest, and from studios Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Peacock is also acquiring the full series library (non-exclusively). Per the official press release: From the TV series that predicted its own movie, comes the least predictable movie of a TV series that referenced a lot of movies and TV.
“The fan that Instagrams every day about ‘Community,’ how can you tell them, ‘Yes, it’s definitely going to happen, but it may be between one and eight years from now’ — which is how the industry works, especially when you factor in pandemics and whatnot,” Harmon said recently when last hinting at the possibility of a movie. “It just feels like psychological torture, from a fan’s perspective, to keep looking into the backseat of a station wagon and saying, ‘Who wants McDonald’s?’ And to just keep driving down the freeway. I don’t want to be guilty of causing that sensation. It just takes so long sometimes.”
“‘Six seasons and a movie’ started out as a cheeky line from ‘Community’’s early seasons and quickly ignited a passionate fan movement for this iconic, hilarious and cool (cool, cool) NBC comedy,” said Susan Rovner, chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re incredibly grateful that 15 years later, we are able to deliver fans this promised movie and can’t wait to get to work with Dan Harmon, Andrew Guest, Joel McHale, Sony and our partners at UTV to continue this epic comedy for Peacock audiences.”
“Community was light years ahead of its time when it premiered on NBC in 2009 and we are thrilled to once again visit the brilliant minds of Dan Harmon, Andrew Guest and this impeccable cast. We are grateful to Peacock, our partners at UTV and to all the zealous fans who have cherished this iconic show,” said Jason Clodfelter, co-president, Sony Pictures Television Studios.
“This franchise is the very definition of community,” said Erin Underhill, president, Universal Television. “We’re excited to bring the band back together and continue the journey of these beloved characters.”
“Community” launched on NBC in 2009 as part of Must See TV Thursday along with “The Office,” “30 Rock,” and “Parks and Recreation,” and ran for 110 episodes over six seasons. The series won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Comedy Series in 2012. The series also spawned the unofficial fan-led convention CommuniCon.
Tony Maglio contributed reporting.
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