Sony is in the “early planning stages” to make the movie portion of #SixSeasonsandaMovie a reality after renewing Community for a sixth season.

Yahoo made a big splash this past week by picking up Community for a sixth season. Now it sounds like they and Sony know fans have one more expectation in addition to season 6: A movie.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures Television (Sony has always owned Community, not NBC) president of programming Zack Van Amburg says that a Community movie following the sixth season is all but a done deal. After being asked a question about a seventh season, Van Amburg responds:

“Let’s see how our movie does! Isn’t that our plan? There’s no way we’re not making the movie now. I think once we make the movie, let’s look up and decide how much more Community the world wants. We promised six seasons and a movie, how much more do you want?… I’d be lying if I told you that we have not had some very early and preliminary conversations that are very exciting about what a potential movie could be and who might direct it.”

For as infrequently as TV execs admit to even “preliminary conversations,” this is a very good sign. Yahoo knows that they’ve inherited millions of rabid fans along with Community and seems to have a solid expectation that those fans expect “six seasons and a movie.”

It’s pretty remarkable how resilient this #SixSeasonsandaMovie meme has been. Community fans should all buy season one of The Cape on DVD in gratitude…if such DVDs even exist.