Community Movie’s Delays Officially Explained by Writer (& There’s a Promising Update)

While delays to the much-anticipated Community movie have frustrated fans, there has now been a positive update on its development. Over the course of its original run, Community earned not just a dedicated fan base, but also a reputation as one of the best-written, most innovative sitcoms in TV history. As well as being a fan-favorite TV show, Community cemented its place in pop culture, with several elements of the show, including its hilarious running gags and quotable moments, being widely known even among those only tangentially aware of it. The announcement of Community: The Movie was met with considerable excitement, but bringing the project to fruition has proved pretty challenging.

During an interview on The Watch podcast, Community writer Andrew Guest explained that they “got very close to shooting” after the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Unfortunately, he went on to elaborate that one particular actor then had a project which “came into conflict in terms of timing”, thus further delaying the feature-length continuation of the beloved show. While that might seem frustrating in regard to the upcoming TV revival, it’s actually a pretty encouraging update in some senses. Guest’s comments not only indicate that the project is still very much in the works, but also subtly give fans something else to hold onto.

Read Next

10 Most Hated Sitcom Characters 

What To Expect From Community: The Movie (& Why This Update Is Good News)

Though Andrew Guest’s comments might seem a little disheartening, it does potentially indicate positive elements about the upcoming movie. In 2024, Donald Glover revealed some details of Community: The Movie‘s plot, indicating that it would follow the college reunion of the original cast (minus Chevy Chase’s character, Pierce Hawthorne), and that it would be framed by Abed’s creation of a movie of his own. Though these plot details may be changed by the time the movie is made, they so far suggest that the upcoming movie will make perfect use of the show’s characters.

The key to Community‘s success was always the chemistry between its cast, so bringing back almost every member of the core group will certainly please the fans. The premise involving a reunion means that there’s technically no time limit on making the movie, as it can easily be reworked around the actors’ ages with no major difficulties. Additionally, it seems to tap into the quirky meta ideas of the original show, making it a solid premise for a movie revival.

While the potential return of some of Community‘s funniest characters has yet to be disclosed, Guest’s recent update about waiting for the cast’s availability to line up keeps hope alive for the movie. Though it may seem that fans have suffered setback after setback, it still sounds as though the powers that be are actively working to make it happen. So far, every indication is that Community: The Movie will be incredible, even if we all have to wait a little bit longer to see it.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!