Joel McHale Confirms Bad News for Filming on Community Movie

Last month, the Writers Guild of America went on strike for the second time in 15 years. Since then, many productions have been put on hold, and more are being delayed while the WGA fights for better pay and residuals. Soon after the strike began, Community star Joel McHale shared his support for the WGA and revealed the strike could delay the long-awaited Community movie. In a recent interview with TV Line, McHale confirmed that the movie has officially been put on hold.

"That was a bummer, because we were getting very close," McHale said of the production, which was supposed to begin in June. "But at the same time, I'm a thousand billion percent behind the writers. The writers need to be paid." He added that movie is "still going to happen." He explained, "When this strike is over, we'll come back and we'll make it. And I am sure that [series creator] Dan [Harmon] will put in 12 jokes addressing the fact it took [this long to come together]. But we'll get there. It just make take a little while."

McHale added of the Community movie's storyline, "I know what's going on [in the movie] but I can't say anything." He joked, "Everybody dies, it's like the end of Hamlet." He continued more seriously, "From what I know about it, it's great, it really is. It's going to be a barnburner."

Who Is Returning For the Community Movie?

Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong. While Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover haven't been officially announced for the movie, they are also expected to return. Keith David, who played Elroy Patashnik in the show's sixth season, is also set to return. McHale spoke to The Wrap back in October about getting the cast back together again.

"We announced it. Peacock is paying for it, thank you Peacock. So yeah, it's happening and everybody's back," McHale shared. "I'm going to look a lot older. I'm not kidding, so you know that I'm sarcastic about literally f*cking everything but um, there will be tears," he added. "We did that table read during the pandemic and I cried like a baby afterwards, and I'm not joking." McHale continued, "Everyone thinks that what I say is joking, but it is like being with-it really is like a family reunion but without a-holes. Because you know, you go to a family you, and you're like, 'Ugh, there's that one cousin of mine. Eugh. He smells.'"

Stay tuned for updates about the Community movie.