Though "six seasons and a movie" may have started out as a running joke from the early seasons of Community, it's finally becoming a reality as Deadline reports Peacock has ordered a feature film closure for the sitcom.
The NBCUniversal-owned streamer ordered Community: The Movie from series creator Dan Harmon after winning the rights in a "competitive situation."
The news comes nearly 15 years after the series, set in a fictional Colorado community college, premiered on NBC in 2009. The meta-humor sitcom would go on to run five seasons on the network before moving to Yahoo! Screen for a short-lived final season.
Original series stars Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong will all be reprising their roles for the feature film, with Harmon and Andrew Guest as writers and executive producers. McHale, Russ Krasnoff, and Gary Foster will also serve as executive producers on the film, which comes from Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television.
There's no word on whether Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, or Chevy Chase—all of whom departed before the show's final season—will be involved in the movie in any capacity.
NBCUniversal Execs Share Excitement Over Community: The Movie
While fans are no doubt delighted that the series is "fulfilling its prophecy" of six seasons followed by a movie, the network execs at NBCUniversal are equally excited to return to Greendale Community College.
"'Six seasons and a movie' started out as a cheeky line from Community's early seasons and quickly ignited a passionate fan movement for this iconic, hilarious and cool NBC comedy," said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCU Television and Streaming. "
We're incredibly grateful that 15 years later, we are able to deliver fans this promised movie and can't wait to get to work with Dan Harmon, Andrew Guest, Joel McHale, Sony and our partners at UTV to continue this epic comedy for Peacock audiences."
Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios also shared his gratitude for being able to revisit Community with the creators' "brilliant minds," writing:
"Community was light years ahead of its time when it premiered on NBC in 2009, and we are thrilled to once again visit the brilliant minds of Dan Harmon, Andrew Guest and this impeccable cast. We are grateful to Peacock, our partners at UTV and to all the zealous fans who have cherished this iconic show."
"This franchise is the very definition of community. We're excited to bring the band back together and continue the journey of these beloved characters," added Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television.
Community: The Movie is anticipated sometime next year. Per Deadline, Peacock is also acquiring the full series library on a non-exclusive basis.