Before he became Walter White, Bryan Cranston was recognized as a character actor and a force to be reckoned with in television comedies. The actor, who reached unprecedented career heights with Breaking Bad later in his career, has Malcolm in the Middle to thank for bringing him to that platform. And thanking the comedy, he is — via a new revival.
That’s right! Cranston has decided to return to his roots, choosing his most popular on-screen comedy persona, Hal Wilkerson. The Breaking Bad and Your Honor actor will be reprising his role as Hal, alongside returning cast members Jane Kaczmarek and Frankie Muniz, who portrayed his on-screen wife Lois and son Malcolm, respectively. The sequel will directly arrive on Disney+ and will be a small affair with only four episodes and a limited storyline.
The Malcolm in the Middle revival will see Cranston portraying a grandfather as Malcolm and his daughter enter the chaotic household of Hal and Lois during their 40th wedding anniversary party. While details remain under wraps, it is expected that more cast and crew members will return, along with several original faces. Notably, Cranston had been attempting to write a reunion special himself for several years, urging his former castmates to join the project. The Academy Award-nominated star will also serve as an executive producer for the revival.
The quirky father of four delinquent sons — including the titular Malcolm, a gifted teenager so brilliant he can break the fourth wall and engage directly with audiences — Hal Wilkerson brought Cranston his first-ever nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards. The single-camera Fox sitcom complemented other unconventional television works such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Office, helping popularize the format. Malcolm in the Middle is often ranked among the most recognizable productions of the 2000s.
Malcolm in the Middle is frequently credited as Bryan Cranston’s late-career breakthrough. By then, he had already become a fairly known face in the 80s and 90s through recurring and guest comic roles in Seinfeld and over a couple dozen other shows, as well as voice-over work, including Lord Rama in the English dub of Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. This upcoming revival is not Cranston’s first time reprising a former role; he also previously guest-starred as Walter White in the spin-off series Better Call Saul.
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