Arrested Development: Jason Bateman Hints At Two More Seasons

Jason Bateman, a comedic mainstay in television and film over the last three decades, is taking on a new role as executive producer, director, and star of Ozark, a dark new Netflix drama about a top money launderer for the second-largest drug cartel in Mexico.

Despite the new path his career is on, Bateman will return to Arrested Development for its fifth season, also on Netflix. In an interview with Deadline, Bateman told the trade that shooting begins in August and the upcoming season is the middle of what could be a three-act story.

“This season is basically the second act of a three-act story that started with the first load of Netflix episodes,” Bateman said. “It was a story that Mitchell Hurwitz hatched after the Fox episodes.”

Bateman notes that there’s no agreement for another season, but “if this season is embraced that is definitely a possibility.” On the fifth season, he said that the death of Liza Minnelli’s Lucille 2 is a major storyline.

Bateman’s career may be going under a transformation, but the actor is still humbled by the role that helped him make the transition from teen idol to a Serious Actor™.

“Arrested Development gave me a bit of capital,” Bateman told Vulture on his press tour for Ozark. “When a director or producer goes to lunch, they want to be able to brag about who they just hired. Arrested Development let them do that about me.”