Netflix has officially confirmed that Arrested Development will be returning to the streaming service for a fifth season – and with the entire original cast intact. Netflix made the announcement by issuing a press release titled “THE BLUTHS ARE BACK. AGAIN!!!” Season five will be co-produced by Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox, while the show’s creator Mitchell Hurwitz will return to executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Jim Vallely and Richie Rosenstock.
Arrested Development ran for three seasons on Fox from 2002-2005 but was canceled due to low ratings. Netflix then picked up the series for a fourth season in 2013 in response to the impressive cult following the series had generated since its cancellation. Arrested Development creator and executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz said in the statement that the return of the Bluth family couldn’t come at a more appropriate time in American history:
In talks with Netflix we all felt that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business — and their desperate abuses of power — are really underrepresented on TV these days. I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids; Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany? — back to the glorious stream of life.
After a series of lengthy contract negotiations, the entire original cast comprising the Bluth family will return for season five – Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Lucille, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, and Alia Shawkat – while Ron Howard will continue to serve as narrator. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said that now that all the actors have confirmed, season five will no doubt continue the series’ tradition of groundbreaking comedy and strengthen Netflix’s comedy offerings:
Arrested Development brings us structures, outerwear and choreography like no other comedy in history. Season Four marked the first foray by Netflix into original comedy programming and this time, the Bluths will collectively be spending more quality time with their millions of fans around the world.
The fifth season of Arrested Development will be released exclusively on Netflix sometime in 2018.
