Comments from the Annecy International Animation Film Festival saw The Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening explain why the long-awaited The Simpsons Movie 2 continues 18 years after the historic success of The Simpsons Movie. The Simpsons is the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history, and with 790 episodes in its back catalog, it is fair to say the series isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Despite this, 2007’s The Simpsons Movie remains the show’s lone theatrical outing.
Speaking at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, co-creator Matt Groening explained to The Simpsons Movie 2, Groening said:
“The first movie killed us. We don’t have a ‘B team’; we did the movie and continued doing the series at the same time… We even had a countdown clock on the wall—we called it The Simpsons death clock—counting down the months, weeks, days, and seconds til we had to have the movie finished. And it made us break down.”
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Given this context, it makes sense that The Simpsons Movie 2 still hasn’t arrived 18 years after the original movie was released. The Simpsons Movie was met with critical acclaim despite some fan backlash, but the movie’s biggest success came in the form of its box office receipts. With a budget of $75 million, The Simpsons Movie took home a staggering $536 million upon release.
Producing new episodes of The Simpsons occupies the time of the show’s creators, and simultaneously working on a movie script is a huge extra demand for the creative team.
Despite how successful the movie was, it's not surprising that the most influential network sitcom of all time still hasn’t produced a follow-up. Producing new episodes of The Simpsons occupies the time of the show’s creators, and simultaneously working on a movie script is a huge extra demand for the creative team. As such, it is arguably better that the long wait for The Simpsons Movie continues, considering the alternative option is a disappointing follow-up.
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What made The Simpsons Movie so successful was its ability to faithfully recreate the appeal of the original series on a bigger scale. The work of iconic writers like Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, and George Meyer meant the movie had the same tone as the show’s Golden Age episodes but a much bigger, more ambitious storyline that suited its transition to the big screen. While The Simpsons season 36 has many inspiring moments, the last thing viewers should want is for the show’s creative team to be stretched beyond their capacity.
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Any sequel to The Simpsons Movie should only come about when the creators are ready and invested in a story that is worth telling, and Groening’s comments make it clear that this might not happen for a while. In the meantime, there is no shortage of classic episodes for fans to revisit, meaning The Simpsons Movie 2’s sequel to The Simpsons Movie does not need to be a high priority for anyone who enjoys The Simpsons in 2025.
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Source: ScreenDaily
The Simpsons
- Release Date
- December 17, 1989
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Al Jean
Cast
Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
- Writers
- J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Conan O'Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
- Franchise(s)
- The Simpsons
- Creator(s)
- Matt Groening
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