With back-to-school season just around the corner, Greendale Community College is ready to welcome back some old-timer human beings for a reunion of sorts: seven years after its sixth TV season aired, a Community movie is still very much in the works — and it's now a matter of "when and not if," according to creator Dan Harmon.
In a new interview with The Wrap, Harmon offered yet another update on the highly sought-after film spinoff, after saying last summer that "gears are turning" on the production. Now, it seems there's a story outline officially in place.
"I'll confirm what Alison [Brie] said, which is that legitimacy is here, conversations and agreements are happening," he said, referencing the original cast member's proclamation to the same publication earlier this month. "There's a story — who knows if we'll end up sticking to it, but it was something we had to compile in order to take it out and court various venues. And now negotiations happen."
"Now, I say that with such caution, because sometimes the audience is like, 'So that means what, a year? Two years?'" Harmon continued with trepidation. "I could have said what I just said three years ago and it would have been almost as accurate, and can you imagine if I had said that three years ago? That's me setting people up for three years of abusive neglect and making them feel forgotten, and it's hard enough to just say nothing."
"When you put the percentage chances together it's like you have to account for maybe the world blowing up or another virus happening," he added, before finally clarifying: "But as far as the industry is concerned, this is a matter of when and not if, for sure."
The promise of six seasons and a movie became a rallying cry for devoted fans of the NBC sitcom, so Harmon has been fielding this question since Community's final episode aired in June 2015. Alongside Brie, fellow cast members Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs and Ken Jeong — who joined the likes of Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi and Chevy Chase in the original series and for an emotional table-read reunion in 2020 — have expressed their enthusiasm for reprising their roles.
Patience is a virtue, and it sounds like Communies may be rewarded for it yet.
In a new interview with The Wrap, Harmon offered yet another update on the highly sought-after film spinoff, after saying last summer that "gears are turning" on the production. Now, it seems there's a story outline officially in place.
"I'll confirm what Alison [Brie] said, which is that legitimacy is here, conversations and agreements are happening," he said, referencing the original cast member's proclamation to the same publication earlier this month. "There's a story — who knows if we'll end up sticking to it, but it was something we had to compile in order to take it out and court various venues. And now negotiations happen."
"Now, I say that with such caution, because sometimes the audience is like, 'So that means what, a year? Two years?'" Harmon continued with trepidation. "I could have said what I just said three years ago and it would have been almost as accurate, and can you imagine if I had said that three years ago? That's me setting people up for three years of abusive neglect and making them feel forgotten, and it's hard enough to just say nothing."
"When you put the percentage chances together it's like you have to account for maybe the world blowing up or another virus happening," he added, before finally clarifying: "But as far as the industry is concerned, this is a matter of when and not if, for sure."
The promise of six seasons and a movie became a rallying cry for devoted fans of the NBC sitcom, so Harmon has been fielding this question since Community's final episode aired in June 2015. Alongside Brie, fellow cast members Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs and Ken Jeong — who joined the likes of Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi and Chevy Chase in the original series and for an emotional table-read reunion in 2020 — have expressed their enthusiasm for reprising their roles.
Patience is a virtue, and it sounds like Communies may be rewarded for it yet.
