Frankie Muniz is embarking on a joyous reunion of his TV family in the upcoming "Malcolm in the Middle" reboot, sharing an enchanting behind-the-scenes photo from the set alongside his onscreen brothers Justin Berfield and Christopher Masterson, better known as Reese and Francis from the original series. "I was advised not to post this yet, but then I remembered the theme song," Muniz penned with a wink. "I'm simply overjoyed for you all to witness the new episodes and I yearn for my brothers' presence."
The caption served as a subtle nod to the iconic "Malcolm in the Middle" theme song, "Boss Of Me" by They Might Be Giants, with its memorable lyrics, "You're not the boss of me now!" When news of the reboot, titled "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," surfaced last December, it was announced that Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, who portrayed Muniz's parents in the series, would be returning to their iconic roles. Berfield and Masteron later signed on to participate in the four-episode Disney+ series, while Kiana Madeira joins as Malcolm's (Muniz) love interest. Vaughan Murrae, Keeley Karsten, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark also grace the cast, with the latter actor notably taking over the role of younger brother Dewey, originally portrayed by Erik Per Sullivan.
Cranston recently shared why Sullivan wasn't included in the revival cast list. "I spoke with Erik and said, 'Hey, we're getting the show back! It's coming back,'" Cranston revealed during a June appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast. "He replied, 'Oh, that's fantastic!' But when I said, 'Yeah, we're looking forward to having you back,' he went, 'Oh, no, no, I don't want to do it. But it's fantastic that you are.'" Cranston added that Sullivan is currently at Harvard pursuing his master's degree and has little interest in returning to acting after a nine-year hiatus.
The beloved "Malcolm in the Middle" aired from 2000 to 2006 and garnered a total of seven Emmys. Reflecting on the revival experience, Muniz admitted he "loved" every moment of it. "I'm not exaggerating when I say filming this reboot was a love letter to me," he shared during a September podcast appearance. "I think people will be surprised by where everyone is now and the story. But it's only four episodes... It's challenging to fit 20 years of stuff into four 30-minute episodes, right? But I think people are going to be very happy with what they came up with."
Linwood Boomer, the creator of "Malcolm in the Middle," is also returning as writer and executive producer. Cranston will serve as an EP alongside Tracy Katsky of KatCo, Gail Berman, director Ken Kwapis, and New Regency's Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, and Natalie Lehmann. Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye are co-executive producing this nostalgic journey back to a cherished era of television.
