The highly anticipated Malcolm in the Middle reboot is set to launch soon, with its release on Disney+ expected shortly.
If you need a refresher, the original series chronicled the life of Malcolm Wilkerson as he dealt with teenage challenges alongside his brothers Reese, Francis, Dewey, and Jamie, and their parents Lois and Hal.
The original cast included Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek. Since its conclusion in 2006, fans have eagerly awaited a reboot.
In 2024, it was announced that a reboot was indeed happening. The official storyline reveals: “Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.”
With just a short time until the reboot’s release, here are the details we know to date.
While much of the plot remains a mystery, it has been confirmed that the new episodes of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair will focus on a mature Malcolm and his siblings gathering for their parents, Hal and Lois’s, 40th wedding anniversary party.
Discussing the project, Muniz shared on X: “Just wrapped filming the Malcolm in the Middle reboot, and man, I’m still reeling. This experience was straight-up incredible – like stepping back into Malcolm’s wild world but with all the love and chaos cranked to 11.
“It went by so fast, like a blur of perfect moments. I wish it could go on forever.
“I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to relive being on this show with a greater appreciation of what we were making knowing how many people around the world truly love Malcolm and his family.”
The reboot will consist of four episodes, all of which are anticipated to be available for streaming on Disney+ simultaneously.
Both Muniz and Justin Berfield will return to their roles as Malcolm and Reese, respectively, along with Christopher Masterson as Francis.
However, Erik Per Sullivan, who originally portrayed Dewey, will not be returning. His role will be taken over by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, and Anthony Timpano will play Jamie.
Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston will reprise their roles as Lois and Hal, respectively.
Cranston expressed his excitement to IndieWire about the reunion: “Seeing the family was the best part. It’s been 20 years since we said goodbye, and now we’re seeing the family again and each person. All the boys were around the same age, now, that I was when I started 25 years ago.
“They’ve got kids of their own. It’s just great to see.”
On Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast, Cranston shared why Sullivan will not be part of the reboot.
“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back’. He goes, ‘oh, that’s fantastic!’, and I go, ‘yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back’. He goes, ‘oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic’,” Cranston explained.
“He’s actually going to Harvard.”
Spade jokingly mentioned that Sullivan is ‘a normal person now,’ to which Cranston replied: “Well, I don’t think – he’s not normal, because he’s really – not in my circle normal – he’s really, really smart and he’s getting, I think he’s getting his masters at Harvard right now.
“He said ‘oh, God no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something, so I’m not into it’.”
In December 2024, it was officially announced that the reboot would be available on Disney+ in December 2025.