Dan Harmon Is Terrified He'll Screw Up The Community Movie

Dan Harmon, the creator of the quirky-though-enduring TV series Community, alongside star Joel McHale and co-writer Andrew Guest, have shed new light on the eagerly awaited Community movie. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Harmon shared his enduring enthusiasm for the project and spoke honestly about the challenges it currently faces.

"I don't think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that the story would involve the gang getting back together," Harmon said. The initial concept was pitched by Harmon, McHale, and Guest before the strike, and it has gained momentum since Peacock gave the green light for its development.

The reunion faced challenges in coordinating the schedules of the ensemble cast, including Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, and Yvette Nicole Brown. Harmon stressed the importance of having the cast together for the movie, rather than shooting their scenes separately. Before the strikes disrupted production, plans were in place to shoot the film in Atlanta to accommodate Glover's schedule.

The concept was initially pitched by Harmon, McHale, and Guest before both strikes. Now, they are making progress again following the WGA strike winding down, although the actors' strike continues. However, the ongoing disruptions have raised concerns about whether the project will come to fruition. Harmon expressed his apprehensions, saying, "By the time we can recoordinate, what are the odds that everyone’s schedule is going to once again align?"

Mainly, Harmon admits, "I really don't want to do it wrong, and it is truly terrifying. But then I'm holding on to the hope that being honest with myself about how scared I am is at least a way to break the cycle."

And although the gang will be getting back together--perhaps for a class reunion--one aspect of the movie still up in the air is whether Chevy Chase will return. In a recent appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, Chase said the show (via The Hollywood Reporter) "wasn't hard-hitting enough for me" and about his infamous feud with Harmon said, "I have no idea if we're OK… I've never been not OK. He's kind of a pisser. He was angry. He called and said he was sorry. I love him now."

Harmon told Variety he "doesn't even know if it's legal for [Chase] to come back," but did express regrets about their feud. "I wasn't thinking about them when I was feuding with Chevy. Only later did I realize that I'd hurt these people who didn't want to think about me as some kind of odd, self-styled Kubrick. They cared about Greendale, this world that I created, and suddenly, they were getting this unadulterated side order of me, which was not fair to them."

As fans are preparing to go back to Greendale, there is plenty of new Harmon content hitting streaming services. Krapopolis just debuted on Hulu, and October 15 brings Season 7 of Rick and Morty.