'Arrested Development' Officially Renewed for Season 5 at Netflix

The Bluths are returning to Netflix.

The streaming giant has finally confirmed that it's ordered a fifth season of the cult comedy. Creator Mitchell Hurwitz and the entire series regular cast — including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, David Cross and Alia Shawkat — will return for the new episodes, which will premiere in 2018.

The announcement comes a week after Bateman tweeted that he had closed a deal to star in more episodes of the show. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter at the time that Hurwitz's deal was done weeks ago and that the writers room had already started up.

Arrested Development originally ran on Fox from 2003 to 2006, and won an Emmy for best comedy series in 2004. The streamer first brought back the comedy in May 2013. The entire nine-person ensemble returned for season four, which consisted of 15 episodes. At the time, Hurwitz said that the fourth season was just the beginning of the show's second act.

“In talks with Netflix we all felt that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business — and their desperate abuses of power — are really underrepresented on TV these days,” said Hurwitz. “I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids — Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany? — back to the glorious stream of life.”

Arrested Development hails from Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox Television. The comedy centers around Michael Bluth (Bateman) and his eccentric family, comprising his son George Michael (Cera), his father George Bluth Sr. (Tambor), his mother Lucille (Walter), his brothers George Oscar Bluth II (Arnett), Buster Bluth (Hale) and sister Lindsay Funke (de Rossi), and Lindsay’s husband Tobias (Cross) and their daughter Maeby (Shawkat). Executive producers include Hurwitz, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Jim Vallely and Richie Rosenstock.

"Arrested Development brings us structures, outerwear and choreography like no other comedy in history,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “Season four marked the first foray by Netflix into original comedy programming and this time, the Bluths will collectively be spending more quality time with their millions of fans around the world”

"Arrested Development remains one of the iconic franchises we, Ron and Brian are asked about most," added Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. "It's a testament to the brilliance of Mitch's creation, the passion of his audience, and the love his cast holds in their hearts for his writing and characters that we have been able to 'get the band back together ' not once but twice since the Emmy-winning original run. Get ready, America. The Bluths are coming back."

“I love working with Mitch. He is a genius and the rarest of original thinkers. He brings a richness to the characters and the storylines that makes the series memorably fun,” said Grazer, with Howard adding: "Whew! I can finally answer the question…. Hell yes! Warming up my uncredited narrator vocal chords. Now the only thing I will have to be coy about is all the craziness the Bluths are going to face this season.”