Bryan Cranston says reprising gentle patriarch Hal for a short “Malcolm in the Middle” revival has already left him “rewarded” — and the cameras are off. The four-episode miniseries, commissioned by Disney+ for the sitcom’s 25th anniversary, finished filming earlier in May, yet the service has not fixed a premiere date, Cranston confirmed during a recent For Your Consideration event in New York City.
Speaking with reporters, the 69-year-old actor recalled that “slipping back into that character was so rewarding — I missed him,” adding that a patterned short-sleeve shirt from Hal’s wardrobe helped him recapture the well-meaning chaos fans remember.
Most of the core cast returned, including Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield. Erik Per Sullivan declined, so newcomer Caleb Ellsworth-Clark steps in as Dewey, with Anthony Timpano portraying Jamie. New faces Keeley Karsten and Kiana Madeira play Malcolm’s daughter Leah and girlfriend Tristan, respectively, widening the Wilkerson household for a new generation.
A Disney+ logline outlines a plot in which Malcolm and Leah are drawn back into family turmoil when Hal and Lois celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. The limited run nods to a series that aired from 2000 to 2006 and set a template for single-camera family comedy.
During its original seven-season stretch the Fox comedy secured seven Emmy Awards and earned recognition for scrapping the laugh track and using quick-cut visual humor, an approach later echoed by shows like Arrested Development.
Anticipation rose after Muniz wrote on X that filming felt “like stepping back into Malcolm’s wild world with the chaos cranked to 11,” capturing the cast’s renewed excitement almost two decades after the finale.
Disney describes the project as a one-off celebration, yet industry speculation suggests creator Linwood Boomer has sketched possible arcs should audiences respond. For now, Cranston says he is waiting alongside viewers: “We’re eager for everyone to see what we made. The decision on timing rests with the platform.”
