The unofficial “Six Seasons and a Movie” slogan for NBC’s beloved if underseen comedy Community began as an offhanded joke by Danny Pudi’s Abed, but it’s now looking like a serious harbinger for things to come.  Though creator Dan Harmon returned as showrunner for the fifth season and things have been on a creative upswing, ratings remain very low.  However, every comedy on NBC’s Thursday night lineup has low ratings.  In fact, after canceling all of its comedy shows besides Community and Parks and Recreation last year, these two remain the only comedies still chugging along on Thursday night as new bets like Sean Saves the World and The Michael J Fox Show have already fallen by the wayside.

As Community continues its low yet consistent ratings course, a sixth season renewal is looking more likely, and given the “Six Seasons and a Movie” moniker, talk of a movie is apparently heating up.  Hit the jump for more.

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Insiders at NBC and Sony tell TV Guide that they’re optimistic for a final, 13-episode sixth season renewal for Community, and after that sixth season wraps up, they’re already discussing the possibility of a movie.  Moreover, at least one director has been considered to take the helm of the Community movie: Justin Lin.  Lin certainly has experience with features having helmed Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6, but he also has Community experience as the director of the now-classic season one paintball episode “Modern Warfare.”

Lin is by no means in active talks to take the helm of the Community movie and there’s definitely a deep bench of Community directors who could handle a feature with ease, but Lin appears to be the first name that has popped up.

Of course, all of this talk of a movie is incredibly premature.  A number of things have to happen first, including a season six renewal, financing for the movie, and contract negotiations with the actors and talent for the movie.  However, a smaller-budgeted Community feature actually doesn’t seem too far outside the realm of possibility.  If we’ve learned anything over the past four years, Community is a show that continues to move forward despite setback after setback, and Harmon is nothing if not ambitious.

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