‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Discusses Long-Awaited Movie Sequel

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Homer and Marge Simpsons

Credit: 20th Century Studios

This year’s D23 has revealed plenty of upcoming Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, and Pixar projects, but sadly The Simpsons was left behind. To say it was entirely absent, though, would be a lie, as Homer did take to the stage (by screen, of course) to introduce “The Simpsons Cinematic Universe”, a brief but hilarious parody of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five.

The classic American animated sitcom hasn’t stopped since its premiere way back in 1989, and even since Disney purchased Fox back in 2019, The Simpsons has continued to churn out new seasons from its new home on streaming service Disney+. In fact, there are currently 33 seasons of The Simpsons, and Season 34 will begin streaming later this month.

The Simpsons Family and Millhouse
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Sends Message About Future of ‘The Simpsons’

But where theme parks are concerned, The Simpsons remains at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood, in the form of Springfield Land. However, this may very well change when Universal’s contract with FOX expires in 2025.

Nevertheless, the House of Mouse evidently retains creative control over The Simpsons from a story-telling perspective. With that said, will we ever see a sequel to The Simpsons Movie (2007), which was a huge hit both financially and critically upon its release in 2007?

The Simpsons Ride
Credit: Universal Studios Hollywood

Related: Did Universal Add ‘The Simpsons’ to the Park Too Late?

In the run up to the Season 34 premiere, which streams later this month, showrunner Al Jean discussed the future of The Simpsons in film with Yahoo Movies UK. And here’s what he said about whether or not we will ever get to see a sequel to The Simpsons Movie:

“I’d love to work on another Simpsons movie, and we’ve talked about it… I don’t know exactly what the animation feature world is at the moment, I know there are some movies that have done well, but is it streaming, is it theatrical? So I think that’s actually a question we would have to wrestle with before we even started working on a script, is what do we want to do, and right now, I’m really happy to work on these shorts.”

The Simpsons Movie
Credit: 20th Century Studios

Related: Universal Reportedly Neglecting ‘The Simpsons’ Ahead of Contract Ending

So, it sounds like things are up in the air where a sequel is concerned, but seeing as the 2007 film grossed $536.4 million worldwide, never say never. But in a world where streaming movies has become the norm, does The Simpsons have a future in the movie theater?

Only time will tell, but there’s still plenty of new Springfield content to look forward to. The official The Simpsons Twitter account shared this cute teaser for The Simpsons Season 34, which will begin streaming on Disney+ on September 25:

Season 34 is sneaking up on us September 25.

But if you can’t wait for The Simpsons Season 34, there’s a new short titled The Simpsons: Welcome to the Club currently streaming on Disney+, which features a number of Disney Villains:

*Cue evil cackle* Get ready for a wild ride with @TheSimpsons: Welcome to the Club. The all-new short, a #DisneyPlusDay premiere, is streaming September 8 only on #DisneyPlus!

Related: Disney Banned ‘The Simpsons’ From Spoofing One Character

As per Wikipedia, here’s the synopsis for The Simpsons Movie:

The film follows Homer Simpson, who irresponsibly pollutes the lake in Springfield, causing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to imprison the town under a giant glass dome. After he and his family escape, they ultimately abandon Homer for his selfishness and return to Springfield to prevent the town’s demolition by Russ Cargill, head of the EPA. Homer works to redeem his folly by returning to Springfield himself in an effort to save it.

The Simpsons
Credit: Disney

Related: “Cancel the Show,” Fans Beg Disney to Ditch “Ruined” ‘The Simpsons’

Would you like to see a sequel to The Simpsons Movie? And are you looking forward to The Simpsons Season 34? Let us know in the comments down below!

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