Ron Howard gives “Arrested Development” movie updates

Fans have been clamoring for an “Arrested Development” movie since the day the show went off the air in 2006. It was in that final episode that narrator Ron Howard uttered the now-famous suggestion that maybe the Bluth’s story should be made into a movie. Since then, no one involved in the production has managed to escape an interview without being asked about the highly anticipated film and, even after its announcement, that hasn’t changed a bit.

Howard recently sat down with Collider at Sundance and talked about the “Arrested Development” movie and Netflix-owned TV show. He’s agreed to voice the series’ narrator again, but unfortunately doesn’t have too much of an update on when production will actually get started on both projects.

“There’s not a specific start date, but Mitch Hurwitz is definitely working to quickly get it all underway,” Howard said. “I don’t want to burden him with any release dates, but I know he’s well underway and it’s something he’s been thinking about a lot, over the previous year.”

That being said, it sounds like we’ve taken a few steps back from the big reveal of Hurwitz’s planned TV-series-into-a-movie idea. Howard’s implication seems to be that more “Arrested Development” is still a ways off.

“It’s a huge challenge ‘cause we’re talking about 10 episodes, or almost character studies, individually featuring various characters from the Bluth family and showing where they are now and updating audiences, as we build to what we eventually expect and hope will be a movie. So, we need to re-acclimate everybody,” he said.

If fans need re-acclimation, they can just catch one of the many airings of “Arrested Development” on IFC nearly every day. But we understand that it takes some time to organize all the crazy shenanigans that the Bluths have likely been up to — like Buster getting an iPad for a hand — into a cohesive story.

“He’s got some hilarious idea about where these characters are in the world now, four or five years later, what they’ve been up to, what their frame of mind is now, and how they relate to each other,” Howard teased. “It’s pretty hilarious, outrageous stuff. Mitch is really enjoying delving back into the Bluth family.”

(Via IFC.com)

MythBusters to launch explosive new series, 'Unchained Reaction'

The MythBusters are at it again.

In a tweet this morning, Adam Savage, co-host of the hit Discovery Channel show, said that he and his co-conspirator, Jamie Hyneman, have gotten the green light to produce their new "sooper secret project," "Unchained Reaction."

According to Deadline Hollywood, Savage and Hyneman will executive produce the new Discovery Channel show and serve as judges on what will be a six-part series. The show will pit "two teams of varying backgrounds--artists, rocket scientists, animatronic specialists, engineers, and even your average Joes--against each other to build an elaborate chain reaction contraption on a massive scale. The teams are provided with identical sets of tools and materials and given five days to complete a series of mechanisms based on a specific theme."

Each team will be given identical tools and material and will get five days to finish their contraptions. They'll be assigned a specific theme. And, Deadline Hollywood wrote, "refined mechanical movements, pyrotechnics, and large-scale destruction are encouraged."

After five days, Hyneman and Savage will welcome an additional guest judge, and together they'll determine a winner.

"We wanted to craft a show that puts the process of problem solving and ingenuity front and center, and we've done exactly that with 'Unchained Reaction,'" Savage told Deadline Hollywood.

In addition to creating the new show, which is expected to premiere in March, Savage and Hyneman are currently in the middle of the national tour of their live show, "Behind the Myths."

(Via Cnet)

MythBusters to launch explosive new series, 'Unchained Reaction'

The MythBusters are at it again.

In a tweet this morning, Adam Savage, co-host of the hit Discovery Channel show, said that he and his co-conspirator, Jamie Hyneman, have gotten the green light to produce their new "sooper secret project," "Unchained Reaction."

According to Deadline Hollywood, Savage and Hyneman will executive produce the new Discovery Channel show and serve as judges on what will be a six-part series. The show will pit "two teams of varying backgrounds--artists, rocket scientists, animatronic specialists, engineers, and even your average Joes--against each other to build an elaborate chain reaction contraption on a massive scale. The teams are provided with identical sets of tools and materials and given five days to complete a series of mechanisms based on a specific theme."

Each team will be given identical tools and material and will get five days to finish their contraptions. They'll be assigned a specific theme. And, Deadline Hollywood wrote, "refined mechanical movements, pyrotechnics, and large-scale destruction are encouraged."

After five days, Hyneman and Savage will welcome an additional guest judge, and together they'll determine a winner.

"We wanted to craft a show that puts the process of problem solving and ingenuity front and center, and we've done exactly that with 'Unchained Reaction,'" Savage told Deadline Hollywood.

In addition to creating the new show, which is expected to premiere in March, Savage and Hyneman are currently in the middle of the national tour of their live show, "Behind the Myths."

(VIA Cnet)

Portlandia The Tour: Behind the Band

As you know, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein have taken their show on the road and created “Portlandia the Tour.” The live version of their hit sketch comedy series “Portlandia” has been a smashing success, selling out venues from Portland to Los Angeles to Chicago. The excitement has been so big that Fred and Carrie took time out from their busy schedules starring on “Saturday Night Live” and touring with Wild Flag to add even more dates in Atlanta, Boston, D.C., and more.

In each city they visit, Fred and Carrie have invited friends (Daniel Handler! Dan Savage! People not named Dan!), performers (Thao and Mirah! Susanna Hoff!) and others to join them on stage as they bring a little bit of Portlandia to the rest of the country. But to make the magic happen, Fred and Carrie do not work alone. Let’s take a moment to meet the hard-working group who are on the road with Portlandia:

Check out the entire band on the IFC Blog.

Virgin America Announces California to PHL Service Complete with "Greenman" Campaign

Philadelphians now have one more way to get to and from California.

Virgin America has announced new routes, bringing services from Los Angeles and San Francisco airports to Philadelphia.

The airline is hoping amenities like wifi, touch-screen entertainment and comfy seats will draw passengers looking to leave behind the bigger names in air travel. And if that doesn't work, it's using a familiar face and a giveaway.

Greenman, seen in the video below, wants travelers to know the airline will give roundtrip flights and an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fan pack. You'll find those details on Virgin America's Facebook page.

Three daily nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport start April 4, and two daily nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport begin April 10.

(VIA Newsworks)

Eastbound and Down Season 3 Teaser Trailer

The third season of Eastbound and Down premieres February 19th on HBO.