The Community Movie Is Likely Delayed Because Hilarious Writers Deserve Fair Pay
Fans have waited a decade for a "Community" movie, and according to star Joel McHale, we'll have to be patient a little longer as the film could be impacted by the Writers Guild of America's current strike. McHale stated as much in a new interview with Collider, after making his support of the Hollywood strike that started on Tuesday extremely clear.
"I don't say this lightly, but I stand with the WGA, and there's no doubt that pay has gone down 23% since 2007, and that needs to change," McHale shared. The guild is currently on strike after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that began over a month ago failed to result in an agreement. When asked if the "Community" movie had any filming updates in light of the strike, McHale's answer wasn't definitive, but was to the point: "I'm not exactly sure, but I'm guessing it's not going to start on time."
It's worth noting that while the "Community" movie was announced last October, the film's production schedule hasn't ever been definitively pinned down. In January, McHale said he thought filming may start in June, but co-star Alison Brie was skeptical in an interview with The AV Club in February: "We are allegedly shooting it this summer," she told the outlet, adding, "because of everything we went through on that show ... I'll believe it when I see it." The beloved comedy show endured a rocky six-season run on NBC from 2009 to 2015, surviving a cancellation, the exit of several cast members, and a final season that aired on the already-forgotten platform Yahoo! Screen.
The movie was (probably) set to begin filming this summer
This potential production delay likely won't be the last to come out of the WGA strike, as writers have been turning up in droves to picket lines this week and have garnered the support of several other major unions. The WGA, whose membership per their official database includes several "Community" cast members as well as series creator Dan Harmon, is currently asking for a fix to that devaluation problem McHale mentioned, as well as for protections against an AI tech takeover, and more.
The world has changed drastically since we last hung out with the Greendale Community College study group eight years ago. While it's safe to say some things have changed for the worse, I hope that by the time the "Community" movie does get made, we'll have seen at least one positive change — in the form of TV writers like those who made this show the cult classic it is earning a liveable wage for their hard work.
The "Community" movie has no set release date at this time.