Fans of The Simpsons, especially those who enjoyed the 2007 movie, may be disappointed to learn that a sequel is not in the works. The first film was praised by critics and became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. However, plans for a second movie have not moved forward. The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, explained why. He said, “The first movie killed us,” when talking about the idea of making another movie.
According to a report by Screen Daily, Groening appeared with The Simpsons Movie director David Silverman and series writer and showrunner Matt Selman at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. They gave fans a look at the animated series’ upcoming 37th season. Each also shared thoughts on the possibility of a sequel. Groening said making the first movie was very hard for the team because they had to keep working on the TV show at the same time.
“We don’t have a ‘B team.’ We did the movie and continued doing the series at the same time,” Groening said. He added, “We even had a countdown clock on the wall—we called it The Simpsons death clock—counting down the months, weeks, days, seconds till we had to have the movie finished. And it made us break down. So, in a perfect world, we would do [another] movie. We’ll see.”
Silverman, known for his work on Rugrats, Monsters Inc., and Ice Age, said the team is focused on keeping the TV show going. He explained that coming up with a good idea for a sequel is not easy. “We don’t want to take a break [from making the series]. We have to get a story that needs to be a movie,” Silverman said.
Selman said the best episodes of The Simpsons already feel like movies because they follow a three-act structure. He questioned whether another movie would be needed. “The best The Simpsons episodes are structured like little movies anyway, through the three-act structure. So when you see it in the theater, you have to think, ‘Why is this big screen worthy?'” Selman said.
The Simpsons Movie was a big event for fans. But some wonder if the show should have ended after the movie or if it was right to keep going. Silverman recalled a joke from the 2007 film where Mr. Burns interrupted the movie to say audiences could not get a refund for their ticket. After test screenings, the joke was removed. “The lesson we learned in the first movie was audiences don’t like being mocked and shamed for having gone to see the movie,” Silverman said.
Test screenings are still used today. To please a more complex audience, it would be difficult for The Simpsons to make a movie that satisfies everyone. The show is not known for being too edgy or controversial, so a sequel would likely result in a longer episode with jokes that do not offend anyone. In other words… BORING.
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English (US) · 