Matt Damon once showed interest in playing Jason Bateman’s character in an Arrested Development movie. The original sitcom aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006 before being canceled. However, it was brought back by Netflix in 2013, and the streamer produced two more seasons of the series. After the fourth season premiered on Netflix, creator Mitch Hurwitz revealed that he was also interested in making an Arrested Development movie.
In a recent interview on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, Bateman revealed that Damon actually heard rumors of an Arrested Development movie and told him he wanted to play his character, Michael Bluth. According to Bateman, Hurwitz’s idea for the movie was that a Hollywood film would have actually been made about the Bluth family. Therefore, it would have made sense for a different actor to also play Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development movie. Read Bateman’s comments below:
I remember Matt Damon coming up to me at — I think it was like a Golden Globes or something — and I was so excited to meet him and, and he was a huge fan of Arrested Development, and he was saying, ‘You know, I really think I could play, because I hear you guys are doing the movie, I think I could… can I play you?’
[Hurwitz] was thinking the story of the Arrested Development movie would be that in the show, Hollywood wanted to make a movie about [the Bluth family], and we certainly couldn’t play ourselves, because we’re not actors.
Why An Arrested Development Movie Was Never Made
Netflix Only Produced Arrested Development Seasons 4 & 5
The Arrested Development story follows Michael Bluth, who tries to keep his formerly wealthy family together after his father gets sent to prison. Many critics and audiences deemed the series as one of the cleverest and funniest sitcoms of all time. However, it never drew a lot of viewers, which resulted in its cancellation in 2006 after just three seasons. Hurwitz was able to make another season of the series for Netflix in 2013. After all, season 4 came years before Netflix consistently produced original content.
Related
10 Best Movie References In Arrested Development
From Mrs. Featherbottom to Love, Indubitably to George Michael’s “Star Wars Kid” video, Arrested Development is full of great movie parodies.
Even though it never came to fruition, Hurwitz’s idea for an Arrested Development movie sounds hilarious. It would have been very funny for the members of the Bluth family to be played by different actors for a fictional film. However, the movie probably never happened because of season 4’s mixed reception. Furthermore, Hurwitz’s movie idea came long before Netflix ever showed an interest in producing original movies. Therefore, in many ways, the creator was ahead of the time by wanting to make an Arrested Development film.
Our Take On Matt Damon Wanting To Play Michael Bluth In An Arrested Development Movie
Damon Starring In An Arrested Development Movie Would Have Been Great
As a massive fan, I am thrilled to learn that Damon also loves the series. Even though seasons 4 and 5 never reached the highs of Arrested Development’s best episodes, it would have been great to see Hurwitz get the chance to make the movie. Since Damon was a huge fan of the series, it’s likely that he wouldn’t have expected much money to be in the movie. Therefore, even with a smaller budget, the Arrested Development movie probably would have been able to afford Damon, so it’s a shame that it never happened.
Source: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Arrested Development
8/10
- Release Date
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November 2, 2003
- Network
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FOX, Netflix
- Showrunner
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Mitchell Hurwitz
- Directors
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Troy Miller, Mitchell Hurwitz, Joe Russo, Paul Feig, Anthony Russo, Lee Shallat Chemel, Jay Chandrasekhar, Robert Berlinger, Greg Mottola, Peter Lauer, John Fortenberry, Lev L. Spiro, Patty Jenkins, Andrew Fleming, Jeff Melman, Jason Bateman, Danny Leiner, Arlene Sanford
- Writers
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Dean Lorey, Abraham Higginbotham, Gareth Reynolds, Hallie Cantor, Jake Farrow, Karey Dornetto, Brian Singleton, Chris Marrs, Maggie Rowe, Barbara Adler
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Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
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Portia de Rossi
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
