The Bluth family is getting a bit of a pay increase.
After the creator of “Arrested Development,” Mitch Hurwitz, went public earlier this month to announce plans for a “remixed” season 4 of the series, fans were elated. The original format of season 4 included 15 extra-long episodes that each focused on a different cast member. This decision was chalked up to a budgetary/scheduling decision but ultimately the changes fell flat with audiences. To remedy the situation, conveniently timed before season 5 sees its release, Hurwitz went back, remixed the episodes into the more traditional format, and lengthened the season from 15 to 22 episodes.
But wait, wouldn’t more episodes mean the cast gets paid more?
As we reported recently, that’s the exact question that the members of the “Arrested Development” cast asked after learning of the remix. It was reported that the remixed season actually changed the terms of the contracts of the cast, which should result in higher pay for their work. Obviously, Fox (who produces the series) said no, and that was that.
However, THR is reporting that the cast is actually going to get paid more for the remixed season 4. According to the report, once the pay dispute with the cast went public, SAG got involved and helped spearhead the negotiations. This resulted in Fox having second-thoughts about their initial refusal and paying the cast for the changed season.
No details were given about the pay increases, other than the cast is getting more money. Initially, it was reported that the salaries of the cast members were dependent on screen time. This was because the season was laid out in a completely different format, with actors not appearing in each episode. However, the remix put the various actors in almost every episode, which means the sliding scale pay was altered.
Either way, for the future of the series, it’s important for the cast of “Arrested Development” to be happy. That way, if season 5 captures the original magic, we’ll have the Bluth family around for years to come.