Frankie Muniz reveals he’s watching Malcolm in the Middle to get ready to film long-awaited revival ‘in a few days’ as star voices his excitement to reunite with his ‘old family’

Frankie Muniz thrilled fans on Monday as he revealed he’d begun re-watching the entirety of Malcolm in the Middle to get ready to film the revival in just a few days time.

The actor, 39, played the titular character on the hit comedy series, which premiered 25 years ago and ran for seven seasons until May 2006. 

And in December it was revealed that Disney+ is bringing the show back for a limited series, with originals stars Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek returning as Malcom’s parents, alongside Frankie.

The theme of the story picks up in present day, with the official logline stating, ‘Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.’

Frankie took to X to explain that in preparation for the reboot, he was re-watching all 151 episodes of the seven-time Emmy-winning comedy.

He also teased that filming was due to commence in only ‘a few days’, while gushing that he was eager ‘to get back together with my old family.’

He tweeted: ‘Just started watching Malcolm in the Middle episode 1. Got 151 to catch up on before we start filming again in a few days!!! Can’t wait to get back together with my old family.’

Fans couldn’t hold back their delight and flooded Frankie’s post with praise for the ‘masterpiece’ original show and excitement for seeing their beloved characters return.

They gushed: ‘One of my favorite shows as a kid. Can’t wait to see the return!!’; ‘Malcolm in the Middle viewing in 2025 should be mandatory!’

‘Be good to see the old gang. Congrats!’; ‘Already binged every episode last month! Guess time to do it again!’

‘One of my favorite shows of all time growing up! Can’t wait for you and all the casts return!’; ‘I think I’ll watch again as well’.

‘This is absolutely awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing you in action again’; ‘No way, is everyone coming back? this is awesome !’

‘another show incoming?! No way! Best show from my childhood. I recently rewatched it all! Absolute masterpiece.’

The original series centred on gifted child Malcolm, who boasted a 165 IQ and was the third-born child in a dysfunctional family of four – and then later five – boys and parents Lois (Jane) and Hal (Bryan).

The story arc of each episode tended to centre on the various hijinks of Malcolm and his markedly less intelligent brothers, Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson), Reese (Justin Berfield) and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan).

Speculation about a reboot has been ongoing for a number of years, with the cast frequently voicing their willingness to return.

In March last year, Frankie teased a possible reboot, saying that ‘without giving away too much because there’s nothing confirmed, but it’s the closest it’s ever been to being a reality’.

He added: ‘I think it’d be a lot of fun to dive into that world and see where everybody is, as adults because really, the possibilities are endless where everybody can be. I’d love to explore it. And I know there are conversations happening.

‘We want to make sure it’s good. With an iconic show like we had, you don’t want to taint it. You want to have the same impact for the people who would want to watch it.’

The revival was finally confirmed by Disney+ last year, with a video of Frankie, Jane and Bryan announcing the news on Instagram.

The clip saw Jane and Bryan calling out the show’s signature ‘Malcom!’ before showing Frankie finally responding to say: ‘Yes I hear you. I’m coming.’

In a statement announcing the reboot, president of Disney Branded Television Ayo Davis said: ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability. 

‘Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages. We’re so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. 

‘With Linwood Boomer [the original creator of the series] and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.’ 

‘Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be,’ Karey Burke, president of 20th Television said in a statement to Variety.

‘When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldn’t think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite.’ 

Since Malcolm went off the air in 2006, Bryan has had meteoric global success, scoring four Emmys and a Golden Globe for his universally acclaimed performance on Breaking Bad and an Oscar nod for 2015’s Trumbo.

While Frankie recently revealed an unexpected career switch, as he swapped acting to become a NASCAR race car driver.

In 2023, he competed in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing fourth at the end of the season with one top-five finish and 11 top-10s.

He told People: ‘I don’t want to say it’s a long time coming, but this has been a dream of mine for forever.

‘I started with doing the open wheel route. I thought I was going to go IndyCar, kind of the Formula 1 route, but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to try NASCAR.

‘I wanted to do it. I grew up watching NASCAR. I was a huge fan, but it’s not something I necessarily thought that I’d ever get the opportunity to do. I want people to know that I’ve literally dedicated my life to this.

‘When I’m not in the race car, I’m thinking about being in the race car. I’m training, I’m in the simulator at Ford, the Ford Performance Technical Center. I’m working with my engineers and my crew chiefs and the team and doing everything I can.’