Last month, it was revealed that filming had wrapped on the revival of the beloved family comedy “Malcolm in the Middle”, which will return for a limited, four-episode run on Disney+ globally.

The original “Malcolm in the Middle” series told the story of young genius Malcolm as he navigated life with his quirky, often difficult family. In these brand-new episodes, Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.

The new series will see the return of original cast members Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Bryan Cranston as Hal, and Jane Kaczmarek as Lois. Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield will also reprise their roles as Malcolm’s older brothers, Francis and Reese.  Also starring in the new series will be Anthony Timpano, who will play Malcolm’s youngest brother, Jamie, who was a toddler in the original series.   Vaughan Murrae has also joined the cast and will be playing the role of Malcolm’s youngest sibling, Kelly.

During a recent appearance on Dana Carvey’s and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast, Bryan Cranston revealed some details on why Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey in the original series, will be the only original-series star who will not be returning for the Disney+ revival, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark replacing Erik in the new show.

”I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s gonna come back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ And I go, ‘Yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic that you are,’”

Bryan added:

“He’s actually going to Harvard.  He’s really, really smart, and I think he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something. So I’m not into it.’”

Since Erik was only eight when he started working on “Malcolm In The Middle”, and now he is in his thirties, his life has changed since the show aired. If Erik no longer wants to act or be involved in the entertainment industry, we should also understand and respect that decision, especially as he stopped acting shortly after the original show finished.  How many of us still want to do the same things we did when we were eight years old?

It’s also great to hear that he’s happy for everyone to continue with the revival, but doesn’t want to be involved himself.

Linwood Boomer, who created the original series, has returned as the writer and executive producer on the revival. Bryan Cranston, Tracy Katsky (KatCo), Gail Berman and New Regency’s Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Natalie Lehmann are executive producers. Ken Kwapis has directed all four episodes and executive produces. Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye are co-executive producers. The limited series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, and New Regency.

A premiere date for the new series will be announced at a later time, and while we wait, you can catch the original series on Disney+ around the world.

Are you looking forward to watching the revival of “Malcolm In The Middle”?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

View all posts