As classic shows continue to return in the form of revivals or reboots, Malcolm in the Middle is one such property that could be joining that list. The beloved Fox sitcom ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006 and, in recent years, it feels like many of the series' alums have discussed it possibly making a comeback. In 2022, Frankie Muniz, who portrayed the titular character, revealed that his on-screen dad Bryan Cranston had gotten the ball rolling on a possible revival. Now, Muniz says the production is close to happening, and he shed light on why it's taken so long.
Both Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston expressed interest in more Malcolm as early as 2015. Yet there was uncertainty regarding whether such a project would actually happen. Following Muniz’s comments in 2022, the inspiring former child star and professional racecar driver told PEDESTRIAN.TV that the revival is percolating:
Without giving away too much because there’s nothing confirmed, but it’s the closest it’s ever been to being a reality. If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen soon but you know, we’ve also been saying that for eight years.
While fans probably shouldn’t get ahead of themselves based on the various updates up to this point, this does sound pretty promising and exciting. Of course, the Big Fat Liar star couldn’t give out too many details. Yet the fact that creatives are apparently on board for it is a good sign.
Revivals, spinoffs and reboots seem to be ruling the entertainment landscape right now, and some have been better received than others. It's probably fair to say that, in some cases, fans would prefer that a beloved film or TV property just be left alone. Frankie Muniz is seemingly aware of what a potential revival for Malcolm would mean for people. During his interview, he went on to stress how he doesn’t want to taint the series and move forward with a sequel of sorts just for the sake of it:
We don’t want to just be one of the many shows that got rebooted over the last couple of years that probably shouldn’t have had a reboot. So if we do it, that’s the biggest thing, we want to make sure it’s good. With an iconic show like we had, you don’t want to taint it. You want to have the same impact for the people who would want to watch it and make sure we make a good product.
At the very least, it does sound like he's treading this creative path lightly, and that could bode well for the supposed project. The OG series was a hit during its run in the early '00s and, thanks to the continued love and Hulu subscribers checking it out, it's remained relatively popular. It's honestly hard to say what a revival would even look like story-wise -- or whether it would be a full-fledged show or a one-off special. Either way, I'm intrigued by what might come of this.
If the lead actor gets his wish for a Malcolm in the Middle sequel, one would hope that he'll be joining by the majority of the original cast. On top of Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston, it'd be great to see Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan and Catherine Lloyd Burns to also return. There are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to this purported production. However, if it's done right, it could be a lot of fun watching the continued adventures of Malcolm and his dysfunctional family.
