Ten years ago yesterday audiences finally got what they had been begging nearly two decades for. Not world peace; not an end to global starvation; and not even a flying car. No, it was THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. America’s favorite animated family had at long last hit the big screen, and in the end, garnered terrific reviews and a $530 million global box office tally. Those are tremendous numbers even by today’s standards, so naturally, the notion comes to mind of a sequel, and even after all these years the possibility of seeing the yellow-skinned gang back on the big screen isn’t off the table.
EW spoke with producer Al Jean and director David Silverman for a ten-year retrospective on the movie, and in the end, were asked if a sequel was still in the discussion, especially given how an end credits scene featured baby Maggie saying, “Sequel?”:
I’d love for there to be another one. We’re still a ways away from it. We talk about this and that. We’re thinking it over, but nothing’s happening just yet.…. It’s still daunting because it really knocked the stuffing out of us to do the movie and the show at the same time.
Jean said there are some ideas as to where they could take the dysfunctional-but-loving family, but that given the pressure the movie would have to be stellar in order to warrant a sequel:
I’d say [it’s in] the very earliest stages. I certainly am cautious about a couple things. I wouldn’t want it to be risky in terms of budget, and I would not want it to be anything that we did purely for the money. I would want it to be a really great movie. I personally feel no need for another one unless it’s great.
An idea for the movie presented itself some years ago during season 24 of the show, in which an episode was planned where Homer and his family are kidnapped by resident aliens Kang and Kodos and taken to Rigel 7. The episode was set to air as a regular show but was held back as a possible movie idea. But the show is about to kick off its 29th season (!!!) this fall, and so far nothing has come from the idea…or any idea…yet.
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE is one I often forget about, but not for any reason relating to quality. The film doesn’t have the beautiful animation or scope of a Pixar/Disney animated film, but it captures the best of the show and then takes it to a new level thanks to a PG-13 rating. Like the show, it’s effortlessly endearing and charming and is great for a simple 90-minute laugh session. The show may not be the behemoth it was back in its heyday, but I would be down for more if the idea is right. Plus, there is some franchise potential for Spider-Pig.