The Workaholics movie has gotten its pink slip from Paramount Plus. The movie, which would’ve been a continuation of the cult favorite sitcom, was to have begun filming next month but has been canceled by the streamer.
Star and executive producer Adam Devine announced the cancellation on Instagram on Monday, stating that Paramount Plus told them the film didn’t “fit their new “global” strategy”. Devine describes the move as “the loosest butthole,” and expresses being “butt hurt” for their fans, for missing out on a chance to “work with my best friends again”, and for “our loyal crew, and other cast members who are now going to have to scramble to find new jobs.” The movie was part of a Paramount Plus slate of productions rife with revivals and reboots, including Teen Wolf, Criminal Minds: Evolution, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Fatal Attraction, not to mention its fleet of five (and counting) original Star Trek series.
An outgrowth of the comedy troupe Mail Order Comedy, Workaholics starred Devine, Blake Anderson, and Anders Holm as three slackers working for a telemarketing company in Rancho Cucamonga, California; the series also starred Jillian Bell, Maribeth Monroe, and Erik Griffin. It was a cult hit, and aired for seven seasons on Comedy Central, from 2011 to 2017, producing 86 episodes. The film, which was to have explored the ins and outs of office work during the pandemic, was announced as part of Paramount Plus’ comedy slate in early 2021 and production was imminent when Paramount pulled the plug.
The cancellation of Workaholics follows a recent trend of networks and streamers drastically cutting back on content, whether that be rescinding series renewals, or canceling programs and films in the midst of filming to write the costs off. In the past week alone, AMC has wiped out a slew of upcoming programs, including the sci-fi comedy Damascus and the period thriller Invitation to a Bonfire, and in-production second seasons for the animated series Pantheon, the dystopian Moonhaven, and the legal drama 61st Street. Just yesterday, Netflix reversed its renewal of the animated series Inside Job, ending it after a single season.
However, there may be hope yet for Workaholics; Devine says that “we are out to other streamers, and hopefully we will get to make this insanely fun movie somewhere else”. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
via Collider