Joel McHale Says ‘Community’ Movie ‘Is Like a Family Reunion, But Without A-Holes’

“Community” fans are used to having their hearts broken. Dan Harmon’s cult sitcom has been cancelled on multiple occasions, and rumors about the long-gestating reunion movie never seemed to go anywhere. Until last month, when it was announced that a new “Community” film would stream on Peacock with the vast majority of the cast returning.

So it’s understandable that fans, who have waited so long to see the “six seasons and a movie” prophecy come to fruition, could be a bit emotional and a little skeptical about the announcement. Joel McHale understands, but he wants you to know that the movie is very real.

“We announced it. Peacock is paying for it, thank you Peacock,” McHale said in a recent interview with The Wrap. “So yeah, it’s happening and everybody’s back.”

McHale understands the emotional side of it too, promising that the film will be a bit more sentimental than the series that inspired it.

“I’m going to look a lot older. I’m not kidding, you know that I’m sarcastic about about literally fucking everything, but there will be tears,” he said. “We did that table read during the pandemic and I cried like a baby afterwards and I’m not joking.”

To McHale, the tears are a small price to pay for the privilege of being reunited with his former onscreen study group. He compared the experience to going home for the holidays — just without all of the bad parts.

“Everyone thinks that what I say is joking, but it is like being with — it really is like a family reunion but without a-holes,” he continued. “Because you know, you go to a family you and you’re like, ‘Ugh, there’s that one cousin of mine. He smells.’ So anyway, we’re really — I can’t wait. Yeah, that’s all I can say.”

It’s not clear if McHale was referring to any specific “a-holes,” but it’s worth noting that Chevy Chase — who famously clashed with Harmon and the cast during his four seasons on the show — is not involved in the movie.

“I don’t even know if it’s legal for [Chase] to come back,” Harmon recently said. “That may be out of my hands. There may something I sign for with an insurance company.”