UPDATED 7/9, 6:30 a.m. ET: Joel McHale, fresh off another appearance in the latest season of The Bear, has provided an update on the upcoming (and long-awaited) Community film.
Speaking with Abe Beame for GQ, McHale directly addressed speculation that fellow Community alum Donald Glover’s schedule is the cause for production on the Peacock-backed movie having not kicked off this year as previously expected. As McHale explains, Glover, whose 2024 includes the final Childish Gambino album, is not the one to blame. In fact, it’s McHale himself.
“If it's anybody's fault, it's my schedule on this one,” McHale, who also urged fans to instead “fully blame” his schedule for the delay, said. “It's not his at all. He was available.”
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The Community movie is aiming to begin filming this year, but it sounds like it all depends on Donald Glover.
In an interview with Deadline, Joel McHale, who played Jeff Winger on the Dan Harmon-created series, said he believes the much-discussed film will start shooting sometime in 2024, adding that he'll be "shocked" if it doesn't.
"But I really do think it's happening this year, and probably next week," McHale revealed. "It's basically working around Donald's schedule."
The fulfillment of "six seasons and a movie," a prophetic phrase from Danny Pudi's Abed, seemingly heightened when the Community cast came together for a table read to raise money for Covid-19 relief. Glover, who left the show in Season 5, not only reunited with the cast over Zoom, but pitched an idea for a movie.
"He's probably lost," Glover said of his character Troy Barnes, who was lost at sea. "I feel like it's like Abed's gotta find him. I like those movies."
Harmon further fanned the flames of anticipation at the time by admitting he was "very, very excited about the coming months" in regards to the possibility of a Community movie.
Peacock announced the long-discussed project was in development two years later.
Shortly after the reveal, Harmon left the door open for Glover's return, saying, "I would not want to think about making [the movie] without Donald."
Glover shared with Entertainment Tonight in January that the screenplay was completed, even though he had not read it yet. "I was told that the script—literally, I was texting today—I was told that the script was done," he said. "It's really just a schedule thing [but] I'm in. I'm all in."