'I think this is really front-and-center in his mind,' Howard tells MTV News of creator/director Mitch Hurwitz.

Almost two years ago, as the twists and creative turns of an "Arrested Development" movie continued to vex fans of the Emmy-winning comedy, executive producer Ron Howard revealed the true impediment blocking the project.

"[Mitch Hurwitz's] television company was very successful — good for Mitch — and slowed things up a little bit for 'Arrested Development' fans," he told us about the show's creator.

As a new year begins and Hurwitz's TV work has slowed (shows like "Sit Down, Shut Up" and "Brothers" were axed in their infancy), Howard told MTV News that the "Arrested" creator is now focused on bringing the Fox comedy to the big screen.

"What happened is that he became such an important television superstar that he began developing a lot of pilots and he really wanted to follow through with that," Howard said, while promoting his upcoming comedy, "The Dilemma."

"So he put in a couple years doing that — always letting the 'Arrested Development' movie percolate — and now he's done that. I think this is really now front-and-center in his mind."

The extra time has not only given Hurwitz an opportunity to hone his approach to the film, but to gain confidence in the director's chair. While he's set to direct the adaptation, he never helmed an episode of the TV show. Now he has some directorial experience on his résumé.

"He's also directed some of the TV, so I think he's feeling confident about that and we all want him to direct the film," Howard added. "I think it's a real priority for him now and can be in his life."

Check out everything we've got on "The Dilemma."

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