Netflix has committed to producing 14 episodes of Arrested Development, but the company's plans beyond that initial run have been a bit unclear. To the chagrin of fans everywhere, that's no longer the case. At an investor conference today, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings described the upcoming fourth season of Arrested Development as a "fantastic one-off" made possible under "non-repeatable" circumstances. "We don't anticipate being able to do seasons five, six, seven. We have less of a stake in it," he said. "Arrested Development is a wildly successful tactic as opposed to fundamental to the strategy."

A company spokesperson expanded on those words, admitting to The Wall Street Journal that it would prove "extremely difficult to get the cast together" for additional episodes. Obviously the show's ensemble, which includes Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Michael Cera, is dealing with busier schedules compared to when Arrested Development first hit TV in 2003. Still, it's no less disappointing to learn that this is likely the end — at least until the Bluth family moves to the silver screen.

Standing in front of this set is a real smile maker for me. My final AD day... for now. twitter.com/batemanjason/s… — Jason Bateman (@batemanjason) February 9, 2013

Update: Hitfix is reporting that Netflix has walked Hastings' comments back, with a spokesperson stating that the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, still hopes to put the pieces together for an additional season. "We're hopeful there will be more seasons," the spokesperson told Hitfix. "If anyone can pull it together, it's going to be Ted."

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/netflix-still-hopeful-for-more-arrested-development-seasons-even-after-ceos-comments#UfchFTEBSQVeG6PO.99