The Malcolm in the Middle revival is almost here — nearly two decades after the original show concluded.
Hulu released the trailer for the revival on Monday, December 29, which offered a glimpse at Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. Set for an April 10 premiere date, the four-part event shows Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his daughter (Keeley Karsten) reuniting with his family after hiding from them for more than 10 years.
“My life is fantastic now,” Malcolm says in the sneak peek. “All I had to do was stay away from my family!”
Malcolm quickly finds himself involved in the family chaos with parents Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) — starting with their 40th wedding anniversary party. In addition to the main trio, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair stars Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield and Emy Coligado. New cast members include Vaughan Murrae and Kiana Madeira.
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The role of Dewey, meanwhile, will be taken over by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. Erik Per Sullivan originated the role when the show aired from 2000 to 2006. Per Sullivan, 34, later appeared on Come on Over, Arthur and the Invisibles and Twelve before officially retiring in 2010.
Per Sullivan hasn’t participated in any of the show’s reunions over the years. Kaczmarek, 70, who played Per Sullivan’s onscreen mother, shared an update in 2024 during an interview, saying, “I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It’s not for everyone.”
Kaczmarek revealed that Per Sullivan retired from acting because he was no longer interested in the profession. He is currently a student at “a very prestigious American university” and pursuing a degree in Victorian literature.
Before the Malcolm in the Middle revival premiere, Muniz, 40, recalled past efforts to bring the show back.
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“I think I had put a tweet out in 2015, [saying], ‘It would be so cool to see where Malcolm and his family are.’ I couldn’t believe the response and how [many people] went crazy for that,” Muniz exclusively told Us Weekly in September. “I called [show creator] Linwood Boomer, and he was like, ‘No, I like how it ended.’ Bryan and I talked about it, and he took the lead in making it happen. It took 10 years.”
Muniz had no hesitation about signing onto the project.
“People go, ‘You don’t want to get pigeonholed [as] one character.’ But I’m like, ‘Wherever I go in the world, people know Malcolm, and they love the show and that family,’” he added. “I was in Mexico two months ago, and literally, people were crying to me [over] how it changed their family dynamic. The timing wasn’t perfect because I’m now a full-time NASCAR driver, but I wasn’t going to say no because of that.”
Muniz continued: “Having stepped away from Hollywood a bit to focus on other things and get the opportunity to jump back into it in a big way was awesome. At times, you take things for granted … now I try to put more effort into everything.”
