'Malcolm in the Middle' Revived at Disney+
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Malcolm is getting back in the middle.
Disney+ has ordered a short-run revival of Malcolm in the Middle with original stars Frankie Muniz — who played the title character — along with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek. Series creator Linwood Boomer is also set to return as writer and executive producer of the four-episode revival.
“Malcolm in the Middle is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability,” Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis said in a statement. “Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages, and we’re so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. With Linwood Boomer and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.”
The series premiered on Fox in January 2000 and ran for seven seasons, with Muniz starring as the genius middle child in a chaotic family. Cranston and Kaczmarek played his parents, Hal and Lois, and Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan also starred as Malcolm’s brothers. The series won seven Emmys, including writing and directing awards in 2000 and 2001; Muniz, Kaczmarek and Cranston all earned acting nominations during the show’s run.
Muniz has pursed a passion for auto racing as an adult and has driven in several professional circuits; he’ll be part of NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series next season. Though he has said he wouldn’t allow his son to go into the entertainment business as a child, he has maintained ties with his TV dad. “He still reaches out to me every couple of weeks [to] check in on me,” Muniz said of Cranston. “He really cares about what I’m doing, comes to the races, if my band was playing, came to shows. I mean, he’s such an inspiration, and like I said, that’s what I strive to be for someone else in the future.”
“Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be,” said Karey Burke, president of 20th Television, which is producing the revival with New Regency. “When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldn’t think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite.”
Boomer will executive produce the Malcolm revival with Cranston, Tracy Katsky of KatCo, Gail Berman, director Ken Kwapis and New Regency’s Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Natalie Lehmann. Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye are co-executive producers.
Muniz is repped by Established Artists and Jackoway Austen. Cranston is with UTA and Johnson Shapiro. Kaczmarek is repped by Paradigm.
A premiere date for the Malcolm in the Middle revival will be announced later. The original series streams on Disney+ and Hulu.
