UPDATE: Find out more about the series' return: ‘Arrested Development’ Season 4 Coming In 2013; Showtime & Netflix In Talks to Distribute

Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz let loose a juicy bit of information today: The series will be returning for one more season, with a limited number of new episodes, to air before the forthcoming movie.

The announcement was made at "A Bluth Family Reunion", an Arrested Development panel being held at The New Yorker Film Festival in Manhattan. Arrested Development veterans Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter are all in attendance with Hurwitz, speaking about the series and the movie that's been in the works for some time.

The (extremely tentative) season would span 9-10 episodes, with each one focusing on one of the much-loved characters - with the first episode focusing on Buster. Details are scarce, but presumably the episodes would air on FOX in the weeks or months leading up to the Arrested Development movie.

It's important to know that even though it isn't a certainty; we know that Hurwitz is actively working on the film and at one point hoped to release it this year. Despite possible plot points being revealed, Fox Searchlight has yet to officially greenlight the project.

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Here's what Hurwtiz had to say about Arrested Development returning to TV:

“We’re trying to do a limited-run series into the movie. We’re basically hoping to do 9 or 10 episodes, with almost one character per episode.”

Hurwitz reveals a scene from Buster's episode:

“The latest joke we have is that it’s Cambridge, Massachusetts and there’s all these scientists in lab coats and they’re waiting for somebody. Buster comes through the door in a white lab coat – ‘Let’s begin’ – and they say, ‘Oh, no, you don’t get to wear the lab coat. We’re experimenting on you.’”

Confirming the fact that Arrested Development will be returning to TV, Will Arnet had this to say (via Twitter):

I'm peeing with @batemanjason (Jason Bateman) at the moment..and we can confirm that we are going to make new AD eps and a movie.

Other juicy details were given at The New Yorker panel. Speaking on the long wait for a commitment from Michael Cera (who played George Michael on the television show), Hurwitz said that the wait was a misunderstanding. The producer called the process "an 'Andy Kaufman' thing that turned really ugly," referring to the rambunctious performances and jokes of the iconic comedian.

Rumors of an Arrested Development movie have persisted almost since the series' cancellation in 2006. Despite most of the actors involved moving on to other projects, just about everyone, from Hurwitz down to the fans themselves, seems excited about the possibility. Even though the film has yet to be officially announced, this news is certainly a step in the right direction - and a short series leading into the movie could be a great way to get fans excited beforehand.

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Follow Michael on Twitter: @MichaelCrider

Source: New York Times