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Groening Says The Simpsons Movie Planned
Alex T-B writes "Matt Groening in a news conference revealed that a film based on The Simpsons is planned [Woo-hoo!], although no deals have been struck yet [D'oh!]. (WARNING, geeky Simpsons reference: A film about The Simpsons? That is unpossible!)"
Now, if they can get Conan O'Brien at the helm... :)
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
Here is a link describing all the various rumors and reoprts of a Simpsons movie.
FYI: Fox purchased the simpsonsmovie.com a few years back. Currently it's just used as a placeholder housing ads for 20th Century Fox films and video releases.
They always have twists. It's an intro with a few in-jokes and other refences, a knee-slapper or two, and then the twist to the main-ish-er story.
Consider: all they have to do is add a further twist. Granted, the build will have to be larger, but the movie won't be any different in scale compared to the show as Really, Really Big Man is to Really Big Man.
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South Park was controversial because of all of its shock value when it first came out. Parents and (more importantly) schools were so angry, they started to ban the t-shirts. This led to the "forbidden fruit" effect, so the shirts became incredibly popular. I remember the same thing happening with the Bart Simpson "Eat My Shorts" and "Underachiever and Proud of it" shirts when the Simpsons were in their infancy. The Simpsons sold out long ago; they've even spoofed this in a recent Halloween special. ("A Simpson on a t-shirt? Well, I never.")
Now, of course, those same kids who got their kicks with "South Park" have "The Tom Green Show" to fuel their ADD. Ah, what a wonderful time to have cable...
For more information, click here.
>The ironic thing, of course, is that the Simpsons paved the way for all the "prime-time" cartoons on TV now.
I hate to be a stickler but I think that The Flintstones did that a longgg time ago. From what my parents have told me they were an even bigger sensation than The Simpson's was.
LL
"If you are falling, dive." -Joseph Campbell
hey what I think would be a really good idea is people send in scripts for short segments... and then having the real writers try to fit a few of them together like a puzzle.... not only keeping with the original style of having one major story line and then lots of back plots... somewhat like 22 short films about springfield episode... that can sure last a good hour and a half... even more
OBLIVION!-
Beavis and Butthead was already gone from TV (well, in reruns, not like MTV viewers would notice) when the movie came out. South Park was already on a downswing when its movie came out, as its initial popularity was due to shock value. How can you get any more shocking than an animated movie that was nearly rated NC-17?
For more information, click here.
Unpossible? That's a completely gromulent word.
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
The "story" would have to have some Very Special Episode quality to it, of course. Kind of like the Transformers movie--the show itself was one thing, and then the movie came out and Whoa--BIG plot! Big themes! Major cast changes! etc etc etc.. not that the Simpsons would do such, necessarily--but I'm sure there's some sort of Comedic equivalent. (I believe the same sort of thing happened with the GI Joe movie, no?)
I guess the moral here, is that there's a pretty good history of animated shows going to feature length film, that, well, hey.. I have faith in the Simpsons Crew to pull it off.
What might be a problem is balancing the need to draw in the average fan and the need to make the Devoted fan excitedly happy...I mean, you know they're going to need to make ALLLL sorts of references to past shows.. they need to balance that against getting the Occasional viewer to have fun with the movie, too.
I hope they get $10,000 for this movie. Why? Because with $10,000, they'd be millionaires.
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SNPP.COM has a 1998 interview with Mike Scully, executive producer of The Simpsons. He basically states that animation is the only way to go.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
"It would have to be animated. I don't see how we could ever do a live-action movie as funny as the animated series. The animation allows so many creative liberties that you just wouldn't be able to acheive with live-action. I think it would be impossible for a set of actors to portray these characters. The audience likes to see them the way they are, and if you tried to turn, say, John Goodman into Homer, then it ultimately has to be disappointing to everyone, including John Goodman. Obviously, he could never live up to Homer."
. . . like reusing the backgrounds.
Here's my prediction (if the movie comes out)
1. Tons of people will see it immediately.
2. Tons of people will bitch about how it sucked and was nowhere near as good as the earlier episodes.
3. 2 years later, after seeing the movie a few times, the same people will say that the movie is brilliant.
4. A year after that, when the sequel is released, tons of people will say that the first movie was better.
Actually, Ralph Wiggum said this first. In a later episode, Homer repeated it.
Stupid Slashdot, BE MORE FUNNY!
Free Mac Mini. Yes, I'm
I'm hoping (personally) that Leo will have the lead role as Bart. Perhaps Jonathon Taylor Thomas? And maybe an Olsen Twin as Lisa?
. at my signal -- unleash hell .
"Simp-son, Ho-mer Simp-son,
He's the greatest guy in hist-o-ry
From the
Town of Spring-field
He's about to hit a chestnut tree--
Aiiiiieee!! <CRASH!> "
Stay up hacking each weekend. Sleep is for the week.
If Phil Heartman were still able to work his magic for us we'd some day be able to hear, "Hi! I'm Troy McCluer. You might remember me from other films such as _The Simpsons: The Movie_ and _The Simpsons II: More Money For Us_." Though, it's Lyonel Hutz I miss even more.
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Shopkeeper: This monkey's paw will grant you three wishes, great or small,but...
...that there will finally be a Simpsons movie!
Matt: Cool! I'll finally get a Simpsons movie!
Shopkeeper: Yes, but each wish may carry dire consequences...
Matt: They can't stop me if I use the paw!
Shopkeeper: You're not listening! Without Conan or your other old writers it won't
Matt: I wish...
Shopkeeper: No! Don't do it!
Matt:
*whoosh*
...Well, I hope it turns out to be a good film, but I'm a little skeptical. Five or six years ago would have been a much more opportune time, and they're not making episodes up to the quality of the old days. But, time will tell, I suppose...
-- I'll be more enthusiastic about thinking outside the box when there's evidence of thinking going on inside it.
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No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?
...why wouldn't Groening and company be able to make a feature film with The Simpsons?
This post sponsored by Ninja Burger. "
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All those problems didn't stop Mike Judge from make a Beavis and Butthead movie...
The ironic thing, of course, is that the Simpsons paved the way for all the "prime-time" cartoons on TV now. And now, after the B&B and SouthPark movies, we finally get the Simpsons one. Here's hoping it doesn't suck.
I'm guessing that they'll use this movie as the big sendoff for the Simpsons. Probably get 1, maybe 2 more years out of it, the movie, then call it quits. Sure, the Simpson's isn't what it used to be (see Season 4), but it's still one of Fox's highest rated shows, and continues to pull in the ad dollars. 2 more years seems possible.
South Park started losing viewers after the whole "Who is Cartman's Dad?" debacle. It started as a cliffhanger, but then 2 or 3 re-runs and the *dynamite* "Not Without My Anus" played before the resolution episode. This pissed off a lot of people who then stopped watching.
Personally, I thought the whole set-up was brilliant! I think what it did was weed out the true fans who were willing to wait a couple of weeks for the resolution from the hipsters who started watching it because it was the cool thing to do. The 3rd Seasons of South Park has had some great episodes, the 3 or 4 that I've seen.
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
Patrick Stewart as Homer...But then Homer might sound eerily similar to the (ex-)head of the Stonecutters.
"Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!"
What's everyone griping about? Unpossible is a perfectly cromulent word.
Just yesterday I was watching the "Itchy and Scratchy Movie" episode, and was thinking "if I&S is what the Simpsons use to be self-referential, then why isn't there a simpsons movie?"
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that makes no sense at all. clearly the joke's humor lies in the fact that ralph dosen't understand grammar even when he's talking about his english grade. using "un" instead of "im" in "impossible" is funny because it points out the non-uniform use of prefixes in english. OMpossible makes no sense at all. besides, even the SNPP says it's "unpossible" http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F05.html.
- "Hear that?! The percolations are imminent! Cease your ingress!"
It reality this might wind up like a Money Python movie - a bunch of gut-busting sketches all tied together. Except that, with the Simpsons, one of their best techniques are the subtle plot twists that almost go unnoticed. The episode never starts out having anything to do with the actual plot. (Case in point.... Springville demolishes the Burns Casino, and the episode is about Homer teaching Flanders to live a little.)
Anyway, I just don't know if a longer, uncut Simpsons episode would really be entertaining. It will be interesting to see what it's rated though.
I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.
There won't be more than one more season of the Simpsons anyway (they said as much in an episode this spring, and it's no surprise, really).
A feature film is probably more about going out with a bang than it is attempting to boost merchandise sales.
It MAY work.. if it's done a la X-Men fashion.. that seemed to work... but perhaps the jury is still out. If they really want to make it work in a Live Action format... perhaps they should retain the services of Patrick Stewart as Homer... God knows he's got the hairline for the part....
"The answers are always inside the problem, not outside"- Marshall McLuhan
The robotic Richard Simmons.
Oh my god, his ass is gonna blow!!!
Double J. Strictly for the . . .
"However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
You cant show a cartoon movie! People will think it's for little kids, and the adults wont go see it!
Not necessarily. For example, anime is a subclass of the animated cartoon, but it isn't generally for kids. That is, except for Pokécrap.
<O
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I've been an avid Simpsons fan since Ulman, but I'm weary of a movie at this late date. IMHO, most of the Simpsons' best eps are long gone, and I really don't see them keeping me in stitches for 2+ hours. I *REALLY* hope I'm wrong, but I'm planning for the worst.
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On one hand, there is the "tv show to movie" curse of doom.
On the other hand, The Simpsons already gets away with tons upon tons of jabs at Fox, Disney (how they weren't sued for the Itchy and Scratchy Land episode, I'll never know). Imagine what they could do without having to get by network censors. And especially if they could retrieve some of the early writers... there's definitely potential here.
Groening has had almost nothing to do with the Simpsons over the past few years. He has devoted the vast majority of his time to getting Futurama off the ground and left the Simpsons to others...have you noticed his credit on the show lately? Something like "creative consultant". I know it's always gonna be his baby, but I wonder what role he'd really have in a movie.
Ah damn, if only they had done this one a few years ago when Phil Hartman was still alive.
He did so many of the voices of The Simpsons, the show just hasn't been the same since he passed.
What would a Simpsons movie be without Ted McClure?
(In the voice of the comic store guy)
With a production as large as a full-scale animated movie, I have to say this sounds more like wishful thinking than anything very real. So far it sounds like they have no ideas, no script, no backing, no firm plans, just Matt saying that they'll be doing one. I'd personally love to see it, but my guess is the show will be off the air before there's a chance to do the movie...I've been watching it less and less as it seems to be running out of steam.
Simpsons fans have been waiting for this since '93!
Check out SNPP.com's info concerning the Simpsons movie which has been collected over the years.
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What? Me fail english? That's unpossible!
Get off the stage.
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If you've seen the early episodes written by Matt you'll be glad he isn't around. Its not that he's a terrible hack, but the magic of the Simpsons was more or less developed by Fox with their assortment of really talented comedy writers. Remember Matt's Homer Simpson? The stern father? That's not the Homer you've fallen in love with, you love the Jerkass Homer.
Like all television The Simpsons is a huge production, lots of people and lots of work. Matt certainly is the creator but it wouldn't be fair to call him the author. He's a great figurehead, but the less influence he has the better. I'd much rather see Conan attached to this than Matt.