Arrested Development star Jason Bateman announces he has officially signed on for season 5. The show became a cult comedy classic after its initial run on Fox, so fans were thrilled when Netflix worked its revival magic in 2013, bringing it back for a fourth season. Since then, rumors have been swirling about the possibility of a fifth season coming to the streaming service, with new episodes promised as a future possibility, but not confirmed.

At the end of 2015, news broke that the writers were working on more episodes, but this was the only news about the project that year. Last year, things started to speed up, with the creator promising a fifth season would definitely happen, and the tantalizing news that a deal was "very close" in January of this year. Now, it seems that the long-awaited fifth season is finally happening, with a new tweet confirming Jason Bateman's involvement and a potential start date for shooting.

The Arrested Development actor, who stars as the beleaguered Michael Bluth, took to Twitter earlier today, posting a confirmation that he has signed on for the next season, and that he expects filming to begin this summer.

The Stair Car is a reference to one of the only remaining Bluth family vehicles, a truck with the Bluth logo on the side and a set of stairs over the back, originally paired with the family jet (before that was sold). The car is one of many running jokes on Arrested Development, and is sure to be involved in many more gags in the new season.

As well as confirming Bateman's involvement, this tweet is likely to be the first in a slew of confirmations from the rest of the core cast, as a deal is struck with the rest of the actors who make up the Bluth clan on the show. And should shooting begin this summer, it's possible that Arrested Development season 5 could be hitting screens very, very soon. Of course, it's important to remember that Bateman has only confirmed his involvement, and that his reference to filming this summer is not 100 percent official. However, "very probable" is a very positive sign, and with season 5 in development for so long, it seems likely that the cast will want to get filming as soon as possible.

Next: Arrested Development Season 5 May Be Part Prequel

Screen Rant will keep you updated on Arrested Development season 5.

Source: Jason Bateman