It finally happened. #SixSeasonsAndAMovie is officially a go.
Peacock has ordered the long-awaited “Community” movie, with most of the original cast of the beloved NBC comedy series returning for a feature film continuation that began as an in-joke in the show and became a rallying cry for fans after the series ended.
Returning for the “Community” movie are cast members Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong. McHale will also serve as an executive producer on the film. The 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.
Not returning – at least not for now – is Donald Glover, who exited “Community” in Season 5 to pursue other projects, and Yvette Nicole Brown. Glover and Brown participated in a reunion for the series in 2020, so it feels like at least a cameo is not out of the question, but curious nonetheless.
Chevy Chase is also not returning, although his absence is far less surprising given the animosity surrounding his exit from the show.
Brie told TheWrap in August that “legitimate conversations” were happening with regard to a feature film continuation, and Harmon told TheWrap in a separate interview later that month that the film was “a matter of when and not if.”
“‘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 of 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.” – 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.”
After first launching in 2009 on NBC, “Community” became something of a fan-favorite, fully coming into its own in its boundary-pushing second season. The show struggled in the ratings and was canceled by the network after Season 5, with the sixth and final season airing on the now-defunct Yahoo! Screen.
In addition to making the movie, Peacock announced that it is acquiring the full “Community” library non-exclusively. So don’t worry, you’ll be able to binge-watch the series again (and again) before the film.
