The ‘Community’ Movie Script Is Constantly Changing

Despite the fact that the vast majority of people in the world are not executive producers on the upcoming Community movie, we all sure seem to get a lot of production updates — from reports concerning the cast’s schedule, to whether or not the shoot has claimed any California tax credits, to the film’s streaming release strategy. (Though, to be fair, trying to find out whether or not Community: The Movie will be released on the big screen or not is next to impossible, since Google searches for “Community theaters” mostly turn up info about sad amateur plays.)

Well, now we have another Community movie update thanks to Yvette Nicole Brown, who, of course, played Shirley on the original show. 

Despite the fact that Shirley was a key ingredient in the early seasons of the series, Brown’s participation in the project wasn’t always a given. She left the show in 2014 to take care of her ailing father, and only confirmed that she would be appearing in film during an interview this past August. “It will happen! We don’t know when, but I'm on board,” the actress told Parade Magazine.

Now Brown has been asked about the movie yet again, as every Community cast member will be until this thing finally comes out. While speaking with The Wrap, Brown reaffirmed that she would be in the movie, and noted that the biggest hurdle right now is “trying to get all these puzzle pieces together of everybody’s schedule,” adding that the cast was fully scheduled and ready to go, “and then the strike happened.” But now, without naming names, “it’s like trying to figure out when is so-and-so done with their show? When is so-and-so done with their movie? When is so-and-so off tour?” Yes, hopefully Danny Pudi will wrap up his tour soon.

Brown also revealed that she’s read an “entire, full script.” She wouldn’t divulge any plot details (here’s hoping it’s about pirates), but she did note that “it’s really funny, it’s very irreverent, it’s silly.” 

It’s also constantly changing. Brown mentioned that the script that she and her castmates have read was currently being “reworked.” Part of the reason for this is that Shirley was originally sidelined because Brown hadn’t been locked down. “For a minute, I wasn’t confirmed,” Brown explained, “so they have to now change some things, because I am confirmed, and they can now change some things for Shirley’s character as well.” 

And the script will likely keep changing around, not because of casting difficulties, but because that’s just part of Community creator Dan Harmon’s process. “A lot of it’s probably going to change,” Brown continued. “Dan Harmon and Andrew Guest are our writers, and they’re always thinking and moving and incorporating things.”

Obviously all scripts go through a rewrite process, but Harmon has a reputation for changing around scripts, sometimes at the last minute. He reportedly rewrote every single Community script during his time on the show in order to “ensure the show remained in his unique voice.” Community writer Andy Bobrow once described the show’s rewrite process as “exhausting,” but admitted that it always produced a script that “was significantly less shit.”

So if constant rewrites will make the Community movie less shitty, fans are just going to have to be patient. 

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