Community movie is a ‘joyful reunion’, says Danny Pudi

Six seasons and a movie. For Community diehards around the world, this throwaway line from a season two episode would become a long running gag that, ultimately, morphed into an actual promise between the show and its fans.

Against all odds, Community kept on coming back from the edge of death for more seasons, leaving Yahoo’s streaming service (RIP) broken and battered in its wake. Through cast shakeups, behind-the-scenes drama, and perhaps a little too much paintball, the show’s impossible sixth season ended with the teaser “...and a movie”. That was seven years ago.

Over the last decade fans have kept the faith alive, surviving on little updates here and there from showrunner and creator Dan Harmon, who would confirm once every couple of years that the mythical Community was still on the cards. It was just a matter of timing.

The stars have finally aligned, as I’m sure you know. Back in September it was finally, officially confirmed that a feature length Community movie will be coming to the Peacock streaming service. Original cast members Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong are all set to return. This is a great time to be a Community fan.

Danny Pudi, who plays the fast-talking, Kickpuncher-loving Cougar Town fanatic Abed Nadir explained to GAMINGbible that the Community gang has been talking about a movie since the show ended, but it wasn’t until about a year ago that things got serious.

“It's never been a serious discussion,” Pudi told us while promoting the upcoming third season of the Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest. “And then I'd say about a year ago, maybe over a year, it started to get real. The discussions were kind of sparked after we did a table read for our 10 year reunion. We had so much fun doing it. And I think that kind of renewed the desire to do this.”

Unsurprisingly, Pudi can’t tell us too much about the movie yet (he jokes he’s been screaming his secrets into an empty room), but his genuine excitement to go back to Greendale did leave us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

“I love that it's a family, you know?” Pudi said of his fellow Community alum. It just feels like it would just be for fun, like a gift. I'm just very excited and. It's like a reunion. It's a joyful, joyful reunion.”

Mythic Quest lands on Apple TV+ November 11. You can read more from our chat with Danny Pudi and Naomi Ekperigin right here.