Joel McHale Reveals What It Will Take to Film the Eventual ‘Community’ Movie (Exclusive)

Since its series finale seven years ago this month, fans of the acclaimed sitcom Community have been eagerly anticipating its eventual movie riffing on the popular adage “six seasons and a movie.” While talk about the movie’s fruition has been addressed by a number of the show’s stars since the virtual table read in 2020, Joel McHale tells PopCulture.com exclusively in support of Rold Gold’s Gold Hunter campaign that it’s “more likely now” than ever before.

McHale, who is heading out on tour this fall with his Community co-star (and unquestionable soulmate) Ken Jeong, joked the pair are “going to shoot” the movie while performing this October on tour with a “GoPro” and will be “bringing, Donald [Glover]” along. “It’s going to be great,” he teased.

After Jeong told PopCulture last year that he is “absolutely” game for the movie whenever it may come, McHale says thanks to streaming and a growing fanbase every day, he can see it coming along eventually. “There’s been so much talk of it where I used to go, ‘Maybe there’ll be a movie — I don’t know,’ [but] it’s more likely now because the show has done so well, streaming-wise, it’s really just a matter of getting everybody together and getting schedules right,” he said. “It’s like making a dessert on Crime Scene Kitchen — all these elements have to come together and they have to come together at the right time. So I would say it’s more likely, definitely more likely than it used to be and I’m positive about it when I’m usually not.”

McHale goes on to say how he has “protected” himself in this business amid attracting any possibility. “Well, we threw that thing out there. We’ll see what happens, but we’ll catch another wave and hopefully, we can serve that one into the shore, but more than I ever imagined, I was like, ‘Oh, this might happen. So we’ll see! Fingers crossed, I’ve already written nine scripts of it and it is brilliant. Lots of misspelling!”

While it’s unclear if the Community movie will reprise any “Secret Committee pretzels” once requested by Greendale student Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), McHale is taking part in Rold Gold’s milestone anniversary celebrating 106 years of the delicious pretzel with a campaign that is offering more than $106,000 in real gold bars up for grabs. In celebration of the legacy status, the beloved actor and comedian is sending fans on the hunt for Rold Gold in all areas of popular culture, challenging them to solve clues and spot the beloved snack in 1980s film classics, iconic ’90s sitcoms, laugh-out-loud big-screen hits, and more like sporting events and dramas and any non-Rold Gold advertisements. Contest clues will also pop on digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and IMDb throughout the campaign, and all clues will be live on RoldGold.com as of June 28.

McHale, who has been a big part of pop culture thanks to his years on The Soup, is also a clue himself amid the brand’s newest bag design debuting nationwide this summer, teasing a mega moment in which he and Rold Gold both appear. 

“They thought it would be fun to celebrate their 106th anniversary by giving away more than a $106,000 worth of gold bars and so it’s a hunt for gold and people between now [June 28] and Sept. 11, there will be clues dropped throughout pop culture and through old references, it can be ’80 sitcoms, ’90s movies, music, sports. But if you see, or if someone sees, a Rold Gold bag or one of their pretzels in something, all they have to do is #Entry and #FoundGold and then tag the Rold Gold Twitter account and then they will be entered into the contest.” 

McHale reveals how contestants might be selected as one of the 60 random winners who are eligible to win more than $106,000 worth of gold bars. The actor’s clues involve housewife, scheme, inspector and friends. For more information and to find, tweet and win, head to Rold Gold’s official website.