Futurama to Return?

[Shinmaru]

As most everyone knows, Futurama was cancelled a while back. All four seasons of this amazingly underrated series have been released on DVD, and I thought that would be all she wrote. However, there are some rumblings down at FOX that I'm hoping prove me wrong...

From [url=www.gotfuturama.com][b]GotFuturama.com[/b][/url]:

[quote]Good news, everyone?

Over the last week, several sources from within the animation business have indicated to us that there is renewed talk at [b]FOX about bringing fresh Futurama content directly to DVD.[/b] We corroborated this with other sources close to the show before publishing the information.

The talk is of course still in a preliminary stage. Options reported to us include one or more Futurama movies in case of a go-ahead.

Even though Futurama is not sure to return and the likelihood of its return is currently unknown, this is the first time in the past few years that we have heard of Futurama being discussed at the upper levels of FOX. They'll likely have a good look at the sales of the upcoming Futurama Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection.

As soon as we get more information on the Direct to DVD story, we'll let you know right here.[/quote]

And here also is a quote from Billy West in a [url=http://www.billywest.com/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=821&PagePosition=1][b]thread on his site's forum[/b][/url]:

[quote]Well, I spoke to David X.Cohen because we did promos for a new Futurama compilation and he said that they did have talks with the top guys at FOX and they were extremely impressed with the sales of the Futurama DVDs. [b]The idea was to make a Futurama movie right to DVD and then a 2nd and a 3rd.[/b] That's what's being discussed. Fox is trying to figure out a budget for the whole project, and it sounded like David X. was very jazzed!

I would love more than anything to do that show again. I thought it was best experience on every level... creatively, voice-wise, writing, animation and the laughs. The laughs. Writers and performers that respected each other.[/quote]

It's not a new season of the show, but I am honestly excited to get [i]anything[/i] new from a series that I thought had been left for dead. This is all preliminary stuff, of course, and there's nothing official at all yet. However, if everything can get mashed out, then we might be seeing some brand-new Futurama material on DVD. :)

Obviously I'm very excited about potential new material for the series. If this comes to fruition I just hope that the new stuff will keep the same great writing, acting, humor and animation that made Futurama so great. I'd hate to be disappointed. :(

Feel free to also use this thread to talk about how much Futurama rules. I know that I will. :D

[Semjaza]

That would be amazing. I recently picked up Volume 3 at Best Buy (it was only $30, unlike the $40 it was marked) and as I watched it I came to the realization that this is really my favorite show ever. There's not a single bad episode, even including the ones with weird, disheartening endings.

I don't know if you ever played the Futurama video game (it's on Xbox, maybe PS2), but that contains what's basically a full, un-aired episode. The game is decent, not great, but I think you would like it. If you've not played it already, anyway.

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Generic NPC #3']That would be amazing. I recently picked up Volume 3 at Best Buy (it was only $30, unlike the $40 it was marked) and as I watched it I came to the realization that this is really my favorite show ever. There's not a single bad episode, even including the ones with weird, disheartening endings.[/quote]

Definitely. Every time I watch Futurama I just love it more and more. I really wouldn't have a problem calling it my favorite show ever. There are a few episodes in the series that are 'average' in comparison to the others, but I still enjoy watching them. And the best of what Futurama has to offer is just so damned amazing.

I find it really fascinating just how much the show really got right. It's downright gorgeous, the writing is sharp and funny, the stories are fun and deceptively deep, the characters are incredibly well-developed, and the voice acting is easily the best I've ever heard. The Futurama cast never ceased to amaze me with how great they truly were. I wish more people loved the series - it's geeky as hell, but it also had so much more than that to offer.

I've not played the Futurama game, actually. I might think about picking it up sometime, especially if I can find it for a decent price.

[Lord Dante]

Futurama is awesome.

It has some completely outrgeous characters that you can't help but liek (the stabbin' robot for example "i gotta get this sofware upgrade, otherwise they won't give me back my stabbin' knife! i hate those 1-X robots! i like to stab 'em - like this ha haaa, ha haaaaa!!" - a classic) and some amazing dialogue (example: "do i come and preach to you when you're lying stoned in the gutter? no!), and hilarious episode ideas (example "anthology of interest #2")

in short, futurama rules.

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][COLOR="#990033"][B]I've never heard of the video game before, I seriously want to check it out! I think it would be great if they made a movie, as long as of course, it doesn't suck. Most second series or movies of great series end up being bad, but hopefully just hopefully this one will live up to the series. I love how it actually has a significant meaning hidden in each episode, like when Lila gets to eyes but decides she's perfect with just one. Plus, bender rocks. Who doesn't love a robot who likes hookers, beer, and stealing purses? He's my hero ^_^ lol I just love 'em. Although this series isn't as good as Family Guy, (I like them both by the way) It's my second fav. I like how its all based in the future though. Dr. Zoidberg is by far the most unique character ever. Hopefully this movie will be a good thing, not a bad thing. I'm looking forward to them considering to make it.

[u][b]Fav Quote :[/b][/u]
[u][b]Fry:[/b][/u] It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long, the grasshopper kept burying acorns for the winter, while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched TV. But then the winter came, and the grasshopper died, and the octopus ate all his acorns. And also he got a racecar. Is any of this getting through to you?

[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/b]

[Foredaddy]

New Futurama episodes would be fantastic! If its true I can't wait!

Fav. Quotes:
"That was so terrible I think you gave me cancer!" - Calcutron
"Uh..uh... Gotta go! Fight Club." - The Professor

[Shinmaru]

Sorry for the large bump, but Tony directed me to some incredibly exciting news. I think this will leave all Futurama fans esctatic:

Source: [b][url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/634/634262p1.html]IGN DVD[/url][/b]

[quote]In the first of IGN's exclusive Video Blogs direct from San Diego's Comic-Con International, voice actor Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, the Professor, and many more voices for many more shows) revealed to us that a brand-new direct-to-video Futurama movie has been greenlit. Not only that, but there is also an option for a second movie as well.

With the model established by Family Guy's return ? where a direct-to-video movie eventually spawned the show's return to Fox primetime as well ? could the much-missed Futurama also be on the way back to a set near you?[/quote]

So, there is at least one direct-to-DVD movie in the works, with the possibility of another to be made afterwards. I don't want to get my hopes up too high for Futurama's return to television, because I don't think that's very likely. Regardless, I am incredibly excited about this. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I am excited to get [i]anything[/i] new from a series I thought would be left for dead after its final episode aired two years ago. A guaranteed direct-to-DVD movie is fantastic news, I think. :)

[Dagger]

So, basically, they're making a Futurama OVA? What do you think the running time will be like? Although I guess if it's modelled after the Family Guy OVA, I could just go look up the specs on that... :p

~Dagger~

[Shinmaru]

[QUOTE=Dagger]So, basically, they're making a Futurama OVA? What do you think the running time will be like? Although I guess if it's modelled after the Family Guy OVA, I could just go look up the specs on that... :p

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

I'm not really sure. I would guess that the actual length would be in between 60 and 90 minutes... probably much closer to 90. A quick Google search directed me to [url=http://www.familyguyfiles.com/citizens/dvdmovie.pdf][b]this[/b][/url], which claims that the running time for the Family Guy movie will be 83 minutes. If that ends up being accurate, then I would think that the Futurama movie would be of similar length. :)

[Semjaza]

Good, you read that comment. I never checked if you responded to me lol.

Most animated features in this country top out at 90 minutes. I severely doubt the Futurama ones will ever top this. I'd personally expect 65 to 90, myself.

This is big news to me. Not simply because what is honestly the best TV show I've ever seen in my entire life is returning in some form, but because of what it means for the storylines themselves. Can you honestly imagine some of the things these guys could tackle in a longer format? The 25 minutes or so of the original had an insane amount of things packed into them and they were almost always completely solid and amazingly paced. Applying that to a longer format just seems like this show can be almost epic by comparison now.

******* awesome. I cannot wait.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I've always been a huge fan of Futurama, though I have to admit I would be eager to spend money on DVDs of the TV series when it'll be repeated on Sky One time and time again. That said the potential that it would return to the small screen is something that I would welcome whole-heartedly, as it might finally give is a break from endless repeats and uninspired new episodes of The Simpsons, which is now in it's [b]18th[/b] season.

Futurama was always a well done show, with each character have their own either subtle or obvious foibles, idiosyncrasies and personality quirks. Aside from the main characters, Zapp Branigan was always my firm favourite, his utterly hilarious Kirk caricature was something that always had me in stitches. Although there were times when his idiocy was taken too far, although that's only my opinion.

A few of Zapp's best lines are as follows.

"[I]Brannigan's law is like Brannigan's love: hard and fast.[/I]"

"[I]When I'm in command, every mission's a suicide mission![/I]"

"[I]Kiff, I have made it with a woman! Inform the men.[/I]"

"[I]If there's an alien out there I can't kill, I haven't met him and killed him yet.[/I]"

"[I]Rock crushes scissors. But paper covers rock! And scissors cuts paper! Kiff, we have a conundrum. Search them for paper! And, bring me a rock![/I]"

"[I]Now, like all great plans, my strategy is so simple an idiot could have devised it.[/I]"

Those and other great lines can be found [url=http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Zapp_Brannigan][b]here[/b][/url] on Wikiquotes.[/SIZE]

[kaisha]

This seems to be going alot like Family Guy did.......hmmm.....This can only mean good things for us Futurama fans.

[omegax]

Hey might as well. I love that show. Family Guy was brought back, so Futurama should make a come back.

[Docbatman]

I can't believe they're bringing it back! that's so awesome! I can't wait! this is quite possibly better than when they brought family guy back! :animesmil

[Zeekan]

Sweet, Futurama is one of my favorite shows, it's always sharp-witted and [insert what has already been said that was good in this thread here]

If they did bring it back, that'd be mint. It's such a shame a great show like Futurama got canned even when it was topping the Simpsons, I'm a huge simpsons fan, I have seen only the episodes after where everyone said it's declined but I think they're great so at least Simpsons is still on air. Even if they didn't bring it back like Family Guy it'd be great to see the Direct-to-DVD movie, and, as #3 said, see what they're capable of with a longer running time.