Malcolm in the Middle recasts key role for revival

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The popular US sitcom Malcolm in the Middle is set to return for a four-episode special on Disney+ - but with one notable difference.

Erik Per Sullivan, who played Malcolm's younger brother Dewey, will not return as... well, he is no longer an actor.

The much-loved character will now be played by Fargo star Caleb Ellsworth-Clark instead, according to US publication Variety.

Frankie Muniz will reprise the titular role, alongside his on-screen parents, Lois and Hal, played by Jane Kaczmarek and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.

Speaking to fan site Malcolm France about Sullivan last year, his former co-star and on-screen mum Kaczmarek confirmed he is "very, very well".

"He did Malcolm for seven years, he started at seven, he ended at 14," she said.

"He wasn't interested in acting, at all."

Kaczmarek added that Sullivan now "goes to school at a very prestigious American university", where he studies Victorian literature including Charles Dickens.

"I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It's not for everyone."

Fox

The Emmy Award-winning Fox TV show premiered in 2000 and ended in 2006, after seven seasons.

The single-camera comedy series follows the dysfunctional working-class family of child prodigy, Malcolm, who is often seen making asides to the camera to comment on their failures.

The returning show, often listed as a modern classic of the genre, is set to begin production once more in Vancouver in the coming weeks.

The synopsis for episode one confirms Malcolm now has a daughter - portrayed by Keeley Karsten (The Fabelmans) - and that the pair get "drawn into the family's chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party".

Christopher Masterson, who played Malcolm's oldest brother Francis, and Justin Berfield, who played Reese, will also both return for the reboot - according to Variety - while Kiana Madeira joins the show afresh as the eponymous star's girlfriend.

Also, Riverdale actor Anthony Timpano will play Malcolm's youngest brother, Jamie, and Vaughan Murrae (Before I Change My Mind) will feature as his youngest sibling, Kelly.