How did Netflix not announce this earlier in the week when it already had the full attention of the TV Critics Association? Regardless…
Wet Hot American Summer officially is back in production! The cult favorite film from 2001 has found its cast members reunite a few times since, usually either in New York City or at the SF Sketchfest, and most recent buzz suggested David Wain and Michael Showalter would produce a prequel movie.
Instead, WHAS is returning, via Netflix, as an eight-episode limited streaming series. News just broke and has been confirmed by sources with multiple media outlets.
And almost everyone is returning to the cast in some form or fashion. In case you need a refresher, the 2001 movie — set in a Jewish summer camp in 1981 — included the fresh faces of Elizabeth Banks, H. Jon Benjamin, Michael Ian Black, Bradley Cooper, Judah Friedlander, Janeane Garofalo, Nina Hellman, Ken Marino, Zak Orth, David Hyde Pierce, Joe LoTruglio, Christopher Meloni, A.D. Miles, Marguerite Moreau, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Marisa Ryan, Molly Shannon, Showalter, Kevin Sussman and Wain.
Wain and Showalter are shepherding the WHAS series for Netflix with Wain directing. The State/Stella duo are joined as EPs on the series by Howard Bernstein, Jonathan Stern and Peter Principato.
Here were several cast members goofing off whilst introducing a WHAS screening at the 2009 SF Sketchfest:
And here was Jason Reitman reminiscing with Wain and Showalter at a 10th anniversary screening of Wet Hot that I attended: