Jason Bateman says Matt Damon pitched himself to play Michael Bluth in an “Arrested Improvement” film

Matt Damon needs in on the Bluth household enterprise.

Arrested Development star Jason Bateman lately revealed that the Oscar-nominated actor as soon as pitched himself to play Bateman's personal character, Michael Bluth, in a film model of the beloved Fox sitcom. Bateman shared the anecdote throughout an look on Conan O'Brien's Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast, recalling how he and Damon had ran into one another on the Golden Globes.

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"I used to be so excited to fulfill him," Bateman mentioned. "He was an enormous fan of Arrested Improvement, and he was saying, 'You understand, I actually assume I might play, as a result of I hear you guys are doing the film, I feel I might — can I play you?'"

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Bateman led the Arrested Improvement forged as level-headed son Michael Bluth, who’s pressured to take over the household enterprise in Orange County, Calif., after his father (performed by Jeffrey Tambor) is shipped to jail for a white-collar crime. The job is difficult by the remainder of his eccentric and dysfunctional household, however he does his greatest whereas making an attempt to be an excellent position mannequin for his personal teenage son (Michael Cera).

The present ran for 3 seasons on Fox between 2003 and 2006 and was revived by Netflix in 2013 for 2 extra seasons. Collection creator Mitchell Hurwitz has expressed curiosity in an Arrested Improvement film, however up to now there has not been motion on one. Responding to O'Brien's query about why such a undertaking would require a brand new forged of Bluths, Bateman clarified that the big-screen model would have included a movie-within-a-movie storyline.

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"Mitch was pondering that the story of the Arrested Improvement film could be that within the present, Hollywood needed to make a film about us, and so we definitely couldn't play ourselves as a result of we're not actors," Bateman mentioned. "So Michael Bluth could be on set watching Matt Damon play Michael Bluth and be so excited. After all, David Cross would play Tobias within the movie as nicely, as a result of he was an actor" on this planet of the present.

Arrested Improvement additionally starred Portia de Rossi, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, and Alia Shawkat. As for whether or not the film might nonetheless occur, Bateman dismissed the likelihood. "I don't assume anyone offers a s—," mentioned Bateman. "I feel it's achieved."

Watch Bateman focus on Damon's pitch above.

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