Posted in: Fox, Netflix, TV | Tagged: anthony russo, arrested development, jason bateman, joe russo

Arrested Development Creator Hesitant to Cast "Bad Luck" Jason Bateman

Anthony and Joe Russo discussed Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz having serious concerns about casting Jason Bateman as lead.

It's hard to believe, but it's been over 20 years since the premiere of the Emmy-winning sitcom Arrested Development on Fox, and leading the ensemble was Jason Bateman, who played Michael Bluth, a middle-aged father trying to make sense of his dysfunctional family, taking over the family business while his father George Sr (Jeffrey Tambor) is incarcerated for a white collar crime, and trying to become a positive figure for his impressionable son George Michael (Michael Cera). Things could have turned out differently had creator Mitchell Hurwitz stuck to his initial gut not casting Bateman due to his doubts, according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo. As the duo became rock stars in the industry thanks in part to their sitcom success and a little thing called the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which they'll return to with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, slated for 2026), they spoke about Hurwitz's concerns with the TV veteran.

Arrested Development Creator Mitchell Hurwitz Thought Casting Jason Bateman as Lead Would Doom His Series

"We literally had to bring him into the studio four times to get him cast because he had been in a bunch of failed pilots," Joe Russo told The Hollywood Reporter. "So he was viewed as baggage at that time. Mitch was very nervous. He was like, 'This could be bad luck if we cast him.'" Arrested Development ran for three seasons from 2003-2006 before Netflix revived the series for two seasons in 2013 and 2018, which became a bit of a process in and of itself with cast availability given the ensemble's higher notoriety since the series' original network run.

Before Arrested Development, the Ozark star was already long established in Hollywood as a child star. He made his debut on NBC's Little House on the Prairie, appearing for 21 episodes. He would remain on the network throughout the '80s on Silver Spoons, It's Your Move, and Valerie, the latter of which spanned over 100 episodes. Bateman remained active in the '90s on film and TV with runs on The WB's Simon, Chicago Sons, and CBS's George & Leo.

All five seasons of Arrested Development, which also stars Portia de Rossi, Will Arnet, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jessica Walter, and Ron Howard, is available on Netflix. For more on the Russos and their success, you can check out the full interview.

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