Jason Bateman | featured news

"Arrested Development" will be reborn on Netflix on May 26. The subscription service announced the premiere date Thursday, saying that all 15 episodes of the comedy series will be posted at the same time. The Mitchell Hurwitz sitcom starring Jason Bateman was canceled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons.

‘‘Identity Thief’’ has turned out to be the real thing at the North American box office. The comedy starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy debuted at No. 1 with a $36.6 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. ‘‘Identity Thief’’ opened solidly despite the winter storm that buried much of the U.S. Northeast. Distributor Universal Pictures estimates the storm might have choked off as much as 10 percent of the movie’s business.

"Identity Thief" topped the box office on Friday night, scoring $11.2 million despite the fact that much of the Eastern seaboard was buried under a massive snowfall. The Universal comedy, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, is performing beyond expectations and should earn a strong $34 million or so for the weekend. Studios are unsure how the blizzard will affect the rest of the weekend, as many theaters in New England are closed. http://www.hitfix.com

The Hangover writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore will be writing the new comedy.

Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love star in Universal Pictures upcoming comedy Couples Retreat. Based on an original idea of Vaughns, the comedy follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort.