By now, fans of Arrested Development have gotten used to the cautious optimism that goes along with good news. When Fox renewed the sitcom for a second season despite low ratings, it seemed like good news, but the network soon cut their episode order from 22 to 18. We rejoiced when it got a third season, but we weren't surprised when it only got to produce 13 episodes before being cancelled.
So while we're over the moon that the Arrested Development movie has been given the go ahead, we knew it wasn't going to be completely smooth sailing. Sure enough, while most of the original cast is on board, endearing dork Michael Cera still hasn't signed on to reprise his role as George Michael Bluth.
"I hope [Cera returns]," Arrested Development creator Michael Hurwitz told E! News today. "We're just trying to get all the actors on board."
With critical and commercial hits like Juno and Superbad under his belt, 20-year-old Cera is arguably the most successful of all the Arrested alums. Jason Bateman, who played Cera's on-screen dad on Arrested Development, tried his best to explain Cera's dilemma in the most diplomatic way possible.
"You'd have to get [Michael] on the phone to get his answer about whether he's going to come back and do it or not," Bateman told E! News. "He's certainly not said that he won't do it. I think Michael is clearly the guy that has come out of Arrested Development with a very big plate, so I think he's trying to really give some responsible thought to what makes sense for him to do with his career. The guy is 20 years old and I'm sure he doesn't want to screw up this opportunity."
Wow, Bateman sure has the "supportive, but with hints of a guilt trip" parental talk down. Once a fake dad, always a fake dad.
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