Four Years Later, Community Star Gives 'Hopeful' Update on Peacock Movie

Community has always had a strange ability to stick around. The NBC sitcom became a cult classic during its six-season run on TV, building a fiercely devoted fanbase that still quotes, memes, and revisits the show years after it ended. And now, four years after Peacock officially announced a Community movie, at least one of its stars remains convinced that it will actually happen.

The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015, following the bizarre adventures of a group of students at Greendale Community College. Its second season famously gave fans the phrase “six seasons and a movie,” which became something of a mantra as the show survived multiple cancellations, network changes, and behind-the-scenes shake-ups. Community eventually got its six seasons. The movie, however, has proven considerably harder to pull off.

Peacock announced the movie in September 2022, with Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong all attached to return, alongside creator Dan Harmon and writer Andrew Guest. While the project has received occasional updates over the years, it still hasn't made it in front of cameras.

Image: Sony Pictures Television

In a recent interview with Polygon, Pudi, who played pop-culture-obsessed Greendale student Abed Nadir, admitted that he often learns about the movie's status from fans rather than the people actually making it.

“In typical Community fashion, I think people know about the Community movie or updates about the world online faster than I do,” Pudi said. "So sometimes I'll just ask people like, 'Did we do it already? Are we in it? Have we filmed it? Are we waiting? Are we in post-production?'"

He added, "It's been incredible seeing the show just kind of live on, catch on with new fans and new generations."

Pudi went on to say that the cast remains excited about getting back together, adding that there have been “a few opportunities recently” that have made everyone even more eager to reunite. Most importantly, he remains optimistic about the movie's chances.

"So I'm hopeful. I believe it will happen," he said. "I'm very much an optimist and I think this is going to happen."

That optimism comes despite the movie hitting another scheduling roadblock earlier this year. In March, Community writer Andrew Guest explained on The Watch podcast that the production had gotten “very close to shooting” before a scheduling conflict involving one of the cast members forced another delay. Guest said the filmmakers want the ensemble together because the chemistry between the actors is such an important part of Community.

For now, there still isn't a release date — or even a confirmed production date — for the Community movie. But if Pudi is right, “six seasons and a movie” may eventually become more than just the show's most persistent joke.