First 'Malcolm in the Middle' Revival Trailer Reveals New Dewey, 'Toxic' Family
Malcolm in the Middle returns for new episodes next month—and, if the first full trailer for the revival proves anything, it's that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Dubbed Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair, the revival will debut on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, with all four episodes dropping at once on April 10.
The official synopsis from the streamer is as follows: “After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.”
The new footage includes quite a few callbacks to the original series, starting with Jane Kaczmarek's Lois once again shaving the back—and “undergrowth”—of Bryan Cranston's very naked Hal.
In addition to Frankie Muniz returning as Malcolm, the video also confirms Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield, and Emy Coligado are all back as Francis, Reese and Piama, respectively.
Looking a little different in the footage, however, is Dewey, who is now played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark after Erik Per Sullivan decided against appearing in the revival. Also seen for the first time in the trailer are Vaughan Murrae as Malcolm's youngest sibling Kelly—who wasn't yet born on the OG show—and Anthony Timpano as a grown-up Jamie.
“I look different. But, hey, everything about me is different,” Muniz's Malcolm says in the teaser. “I have a girlfriend. And the best thing in the while world: My daughter Leah. My life in fantastic. All I have to do is stay completely away from my family.”
That, of course, proves difficult after his family finally comes to the realization he's been “intentionally hiding” from them for years. Why? Well, Malcolm makes it pretty clear when he screams that “this family's non-stop antisocial behavior and mindless, myopic priorities are toxic to me.”
While his girlfriend Tristan ( Kiana Madeira) and daughter Leah (Keeley Karsten) try to talk him into making peace with his family, fans will have to wait until April 10 to see how it pans out.
Malcolm in the Middle's Legacy
The original Malcolm in the Middle ran for six seasons and a whopping 151 episodes on Fox between January 2000 and May 2006.
The show was a massive hit, both critically and as a ratings giant, when it premiered. The show debuted to an audience of 23 million viewers, premiering after The Simpsons, and while the ratings dropped overtime, it continued to rack up Emmy nominations ever season.
Both Kaczmarek and Cloris Leachman earned nominations for all six seasons, with Leachman taking home the gold in 2002 and 2006. Muniz also scored a nomination for the show's first season, while Cranston picked up noms in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
It was only nominated once for Outstanding Comedy Series, however, and lost out to Sex and the City in 2001.
Those hoping to catch up on all 151 episodes of the original series before the revival drops, they're streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu, as well as a dedicated Malcolm in the Middle Stream for Disney+ subscribers.