While nothing seems to be in the works at the moment, every year seems to bring some good news regarding the makings of a Community movie (mostly that the cast is really down to make one). Created by the writer of Rick and Morty renown, Dan Harmon, Community was an NBC/Yahoo sitcom whose entire legacy and success was fueled by its fandom. The series likely wouldn't have gotten its fifth and sixth season if it wasn't for its viewing faithful, and if the rumors are true, that same drive may also lead to a movie.
With talk from Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Alison Brie sparking more interest in the prospect, Community fans just can't help but wonder what a Community movie would look like. There's certainly a lot to look forward to from the infamous Greendale Six, but with the series' well-documented backstage drama and production issues, there's no denying that there could be some missteps along the way.
Love: Troy Returning
Community was never quite the same after Troy Barnes set out to sea. Though he was initially positioned as a stereotypical jock, Donald Glover was able to dress Troy in a veil of charisma and childlike innocence, grounding him in a way that helped warm and balance out the study group.
Without him, there wasn't anyone to counteract the overarching cynicism and self-awareness of Dan Harmon's writing, and Abed Nadir as a character struggled to find ways to still be "weird" without totally alienating the audience. If the movie wants to get people into the theater, then it needs to bring the heart and soul of the franchise back.
Hate: Pierce Returning
While it would be nice to see core members of the cast come back for the film, not every member may have a positive effect on the movie, namely Chevy Chase. Pierce Hawthorne was a major part of Community's dynamic. He was a calling card for Jeff Winger to change his ways, while also acting as a cornerstone of the series' sense of redemption.
However, those same thematic throughlines didn't exactly carry over to the real world. It is said that Chevy Chase was every bit as difficult to work with backstage as his character was in the story. Though it would be nice to see Pierce featured in some way, it's hard to imagine Chevy Chase not having some negative effect on production or his name not sparking some bad memories for fans.
Love: Jeff And Annie Romance
If there's one thing that any Community fan would want out of the movie, it would be to see more romantic tension (and possibly some payoff) between Jeff and Annie. While the issue of the age difference led to some debates, the Community faithful, as a whole, have come to adore the two's will-they-won't-they love story.
Annie has always tried to see the best in Jeff's cold exterior and Jeff has always tried to protect Annie's overall innocence. It's not exactly groundbreaking character writing, but it's so effectively done between these two that it would be devastating not to see some development in the film.
Hate: Jeff And Britta Romance
It's not as if Britta Perry has terrible chemistry with Jeff Winger. The two actually bounce well off one another as two, competitive buddies. However, their romantic tension didn't click well with the fans, and at its worst, they bickered in a way that people got sick of with Cheers' Sam and Diane.
And as Shirley pointed out, she hated Sam and Diane. Jeff and Britta are just best friends who help each other when they recognize their own, toxic patterns in each other. As a romantic couple, they're inadvertently as toxic and annoying as they come.
Love: The Return Of Some Replacement Characters
If a Community movie is going to celebrate the best of the series, it should also reference the characters who helped keep the series afloat when it seemingly kept losing core characters.
This includes the gruff-and-tuff Buzz Hickey, the old and nerdy Elroy Patashnik, and, of course, the comically studious Frankie Dart. These characters became every bit a part of the study group/Save Greendale Committee as Chang and Dean Pelton, and it would be a shame if they weren't at least referenced.
Hate: Too Many Self-Referential/Meta Jokes
While Dan Harmon has become renowned for his writing's self-awareness and meta jokes, they may prove to be a double-edged sword in the movie. Meta jokes typically work well as alternative/outsider comedy. They're a means of connecting with the audience when thinking of the greater canon of media. However, Community has become so big and built such a strong history within its own right, it has also become a part of that same, larger canon.
Meta jokes and references in the movie wouldn't come off as smart and endearing, but as arrogant self-celebration. If the Community movie needs to know one thing, it's that the series is no longer the weird kid at the back of the class to its fans, but the most popular kid in school.
Love: The Russo Brothers Returning
While this may be a long-shot budget-wise, it would be incredible to see the Russo Brothers return to Community to direct the movie, almost as a welcome gesture to where they came from. For those who don't know, the Russo Brothers were the directors of Community before they went on to work on the little-known project that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
They're a huge part of why stunts and action arcs like the paintball episodes worked so well and why the series looked and felt so different after season 3 (among a few other things). Having the Russos return would be a major return to form and bring a lot of eyes, just for the name value.
Hate: The Darkest Timeline
The Darkest Timeline had the potential to be one of the most legendary running gags/plot threads in the series. However, much like the Troy and Britta romance, it was another thing that was ruined in season 4 aka the Gas Leak Year.
The Darkest Timeline would see its disappointing conclusion in "Advanced Introduction to Finality" when it contributed to the whole "It was just a dream" trope. Once Dan Harmon took over the series again, that timeline or any alternate timeline was never mentioned again. The movie really shouldn't try to salvage it, lest it risk reminding the fans of the puppet episode.
Love: A Satisfying Finale
As interesting as it would be to think of the Community movie as just the beginning for more projects for the beloved series, it'll likely be the swan song for its long journey.
Not only has the story run its course after more than a decade, but Dan Harmon is also too busy with other projects, such as Rick and Morty and a new, adult animated series for Fox, to really commit to more Community stories. The movie will likely be the final finale of the franchise, and much like the season 6 finale, it will hopefully leave fans satisfied with the lives of the study group.
Hate: Moving Off-Campus
It's easy to imagine epic adventures of grand proportion for a Community movie, but one must never forget where the story really began (and never really left). As much as the fans love the core characters, Community has always arguably been about the sense of redemption and personality brooding within Greendale Community College.
The campus, the students, and even the study room itself have almost become welcome parts of the core cast within their own right. It would be cool to see the study group go on a cross-country road trip, help Abed film an international remake of Die Hard, or finally take Jeff outside of Colorado, but that would risk compromising the literal premise of the series.