Community movie script was "pretty darn close" to finished before the writers' strike

The long-awaited Community movie is in the works, and showrunner Dan Harmon and co-writer Andrew Guest have nearly finished the script, according to series star Joel McHale.

"We had a shooting date coming up, which was going to be in the summer," McHale, who played Jeff in the beloved sitcom, told Variety. "And I think they were extremely close to – I mean, Dan is somebody that tweaks things but, obviously, that’s all stopped. But I think it was pretty darn close. It was close, the shoot date was coming up and we were all excited to do it and then the writers' strike happened, which obviously put everything on hold, and rightfully so. The writers are asking for very reasonable things. Writers need to be paid properly."

The movie is also reportedly close to tying down a director. McHale knows who it is, but wouldn't reveal their name to Variety. "I know who wants to do it and we’re talking to and is interested and engaged," he said. Alongside McHale, cast members Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong have been confirmed to return for the feature-length reunion.

Community first aired in 2009 and ran for six seasons until 2015. "Six seasons and a movie" was a catchphrase used frequently throughout the series – and one that has been adopted by fans. Set at a fictional community college in Colorado, the show follows a ragtag bunch of students thrown together to form a study group. Harmon acted as showrunner for seasons 1 to 3, before he was fired and then re-hired for seasons 5 and 6.

While we wait for the Community movie to arrive on our screens, check out our guide to this year's most exciting movie release dates.