For a long time, the idea that Arrested Development might actually, really, truly return was nothing but a pipedream shared by fans across the globe. But now it is actually, really, truly returning, all we have to do is wait. Patiently. Is it here yet? No? How about now?... And even as the new episodes are being made, creator / executive producer Mitch Hurwitz has at last decided to share a bit more about what we can expect.
In an email exchange with the gang at Vulture, Hurwitz covered several subjects (including the fact that the screening order – one at a time, or all at once – has yet to be decided) and hinted at what we can expect from the new instalments. All without giving away spoilers. He’s a crafty one, that Mr H.
“The episodes are an outgrowth of the design of what we hope will be the movie. They precede it. They function as an act one of a movie that we all want to do, but haven't ‘sold’ yet. The episodes take the audience through the experiences of the characters since the family 'fell apart' and how they're brought together to deal with their new problems. I would give you a hint as to what those problems are, but, really, why rob the fans of being disappointed when they see it on Netflix.” According to him, each episode will focus on one character, but of course the Bluths will feature in each other’s shows.
And as to whether we really will see more than the initial 10 (as hinted at by David “Tobias Funke” Cross recently), it would appear that that’s still under discussion. “Our initial order is for ten, but the beauty of Netflix is that we theoretically have an opportunity to provide more material for them. We're definitely shooting some special material just for them. But their whole outlook completely mirrors the ambitions of this show.”
He also talked about the first day a majority of the cast showed up to shoot, which was an emotional event. “I will admit that the day a bigger group of the cast did get together really was amazing. We were in an old set and hearing some of those voices together. I think everyone involved was kind of dumbstruck by it. It really wasn't supposed to happen in a way; shows don't come back.’ And this was the moment we realized it had.”
Finally, we can expect Ron Howard to return not only as narrator, but also in front of the camera. “"He's reprising his role as Ron Howard," Hurwitz says. "We own the rights to Ron Howard completely. I've got $20,000 coming in from a Ron Howard pinball machine."
The Bluths will be back next year, assuming you can wait that long. For more from the Hurwitz interview, hit up Vulture's site.