Suddenly I'm very glad I decided after "The Devil's Hands" to accept that Futurama was over. No getting my hope up. No disappointment and disbelief at the stupidity of FOX. The series ended before its time, but it ended on an absolute high point. I can live with that.
Thirith on
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
They should bring back Poochy (is that how you spell it?) and have him voiced by Andy Dick.
Yougottawanna on
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Magus`The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered Userregular
edited July 2009
While this does indeed suck, it's possible that they will sound the same. I'm sure there are people out there who can do the same inflections and whatnot.
Or just let Phil LaMarr do it all. That dude is everywhere.
These news are patently ridiculous. I refuse to believe this will go through, as it'll likely kill the show before it even restarts.
But, you know, Fox. Why the bloody hell are people still optioning shows to them?
In this case you don't get a choice but to have Fox make it. It will be a ploy because the voices make it just like they do in the Simpsons. Its not a show like Hey Arnold or whatever that you can get away with a sound alike. Itd be like trying to get someone else to do Cartmans voice. And in terms of Billy West, youre having to pay like 4-5 people to fill the roles he alone was doing.
I still need to pick up the rest of the direct-to-dvd films. I bought the first one literally on release day, but I've never gotten the rest.
Recently when I see one on a shelf somewhere there's a season of The Simpsons nearby for the same price or less, and it's hard not to pass up 20+ episodes vs 2 hours of a movie.
This isn't even like losing one member. It's losing everyone and I dunno how I can watch a recast Futurama. I feel bad for the new cast already: that's a lot of hate on people just trying to make a living.
Why do I suspect it would cost more to replace the voice actors than to keep them? (pay casting directors, hold auditions, pay salaries for MORE actors than you are replacing in the case of Billy West...)
There is absolutely no way they'll not deliver good news [everyone!] after such an intentionally ham-fisted build up as the SDCC announcement. In fact, I'm confident there would be rioting on par with the climax to Carrie if the contrary happened.
So is it a publicity stunt? No, I don't think so either. Matt Groening and David Cohen wouldn't do that to fans. It's not really their style. It looks more like a bargaining play, just like has been said: A tactic to reduce the cast's salaries. It would seem to me that there's a pay dispute going on behind the scenes, and this seems like a retaliatory move by Fox in anticipation of the position Groening is hoping to force them into with however the SDCC affair goes down. At this point each player has made a public move to goad the other in their favor. It's like we're watching a game of chess being played out between Groening and Fox, only one of our eyes is covered up and half the pieces on the board are checkers.
I wouldn't freak too much. Not yet, at least. Yes I agree it's kind of sketchy on Fox's behalf, but it's business and they're just playing the hand dealt (while simultaneously threatening to replace the whole deck).
When "Futurama" returns to TV next year, it might be without the show's original voice cast.
Talks have broken down between 20th Century Fox TV and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille over how much they should be paid to take part in the show.
The studio announced last month that it would produce 26 new episodes of "Futurama," and that Comedy Central was on board to begin airing the new episodes in mid-2010. As part of the announcement, the show's producers said stars including West, Sagal and DiMaggio had all signed on to return.
Turns out that wasn't true.
The stars had all expressed interest in returning. But with the budget for "Futurama" dramatically slashed, the salary offers came in well below what the thesps were asking.
As a result, 20th has put out a casting call to find replacement voice actors for the show.
It's not the first time 20th has gone that route during a tough negotiation on one of its toons. The studio previously made a similar move on "The Simpsons" when it couldn't come to a deal with its stars. Casting feelers were sent out for replacements, but a deal was eventually made with the original cast.
The situation is unusual this time around in that 20th and Comedy Central have been kicking around ways to make "Futurama," originally produced for a broadcast network (Fox), make financial sense for a cable run. Yet there's also still a possibility -- and a window built in -- for "Futurama" to run on a broadcast network first.
It's believed that the "Futurama" cast members were asking for around $75,000 per episode; it was not clear what 20th was offering. Calls to the voice stars' reps were not immediately returned.
Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, "Futurama" originally aired on Fox from 1999 to 2003. The success of the show's repeats on DVD and cable, as well as a series of first-run DVD releases, led to the decision to revive "Futurama."
Other costs slashed in the process led to a smaller writing staff and a shorter delivery schedule.
"We love the 'Futurama' voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands," 20th Century Fox TV said in a statement. "While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt and David's brilliantly subversive characters."
Improvolone on
Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
Why do I suspect it would cost more to replace the voice actors than to keep them? (pay casting directors, hold auditions, pay salaries for MORE actors than you are replacing in the case of Billy West...)
They could always replace Billy West with Seth MacFarlane.
Why do I suspect it would cost more to replace the voice actors than to keep them? (pay casting directors, hold auditions, pay salaries for MORE actors than you are replacing in the case of Billy West...)
They could always replace Billy West with Seth MacFarlane.
There is not a low enough level of hell to send you to for that suggestion.
Why do I suspect it would cost more to replace the voice actors than to keep them? (pay casting directors, hold auditions, pay salaries for MORE actors than you are replacing in the case of Billy West...)
They could always replace Billy West with Seth MacFarlane.
There is not a low enough level of hell to send you to for that suggestion.
It was a joke. I wanted to go a bit longer before clarifying that, but I'm too afraid that I'll get banned for such heresy.
Here's some Japanese Futurama fan art to lighten the mood:
For some reason this just seems to sum up my feelings on this.
No matter how well intentioned (and it's Fox, so it's not well intentioned at all), it's just going to be a grotesque mess . . . and possibly make me cry.
The bad SDCC publicity would...I dunno, but it'd do something to whoever is handling Futurama now. Unless it's all a scam.
They already have a few guys on their cast who do like, 7 voices each. How much cheaper can hiring new people be?
I think Billy West even admitted that he made Fry's voice his own so that it'd be impossible to copy it or replace him. Let's hope it works.
Variety is reporting they were asking 75k an episode. There are other really talented voice actors and even impressionists out there. I'm sure they could find someone who could match the voice, but there is also the having to be a good actor side of it.
Improvolone on
Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
Without the original voice actors they shouldn't bring this back. It isn't the same at all. They're banking on the success of the show without some of the key components of the show, just the packaging.
Actually, even without the voice actors I'll at least try this show. And if it sucks I won't watch any more of it.
This speaks so poorly of Fox, though. They have gotten away with a lot of bullshit, canceling or seemingly sabotaging some good shows, but bringing back a beloved show and then gutting it is something new.
Why do I suspect it would cost more to replace the voice actors than to keep them? (pay casting directors, hold auditions, pay salaries for MORE actors than you are replacing in the case of Billy West...)
They could always replace Billy West with Seth MacFarlane.
There is not a low enough level of hell to send you to for that suggestion.
It was a joke. I wanted to go a bit longer before clarifying that, but I'm too afraid that I'll get banned for such heresy.
Here's some Japanese Futurama fan art to lighten the mood:
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"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
But, you know, Fox. Why the bloody hell are people still optioning shows to them?
And Carlos Mencia as Zoidberg.
GET OUT!
Or just let Phil LaMarr do it all. That dude is everywhere.
Steam Profile | Signature art by Alexandra 'Lexxy' Douglass
In this case you don't get a choice but to have Fox make it. It will be a ploy because the voices make it just like they do in the Simpsons. Its not a show like Hey Arnold or whatever that you can get away with a sound alike. Itd be like trying to get someone else to do Cartmans voice. And in terms of Billy West, youre having to pay like 4-5 people to fill the roles he alone was doing.
Well, they did it by taking stuff he had recorded for previous episodes. That's not exactly a long term solution.
They even hung a lantern on how obvious it was by having Chef respond to long questions with simply "yep!"
I mean, it would make no sense to destroy the show they're paying money to bring back.
Right?
....right?
Recently when I see one on a shelf somewhere there's a season of The Simpsons nearby for the same price or less, and it's hard not to pass up 20+ episodes vs 2 hours of a movie.
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C'mon... CHILDREN!
Exactly.
Not to mention I doubt Matt Groeing and David Cohen are going to let Fox recast their show and still willingly allow their staff to write for it.
This isn't even like losing one member. It's losing everyone and I dunno how I can watch a recast Futurama. I feel bad for the new cast already: that's a lot of hate on people just trying to make a living.
So is it a publicity stunt? No, I don't think so either. Matt Groening and David Cohen wouldn't do that to fans. It's not really their style. It looks more like a bargaining play, just like has been said: A tactic to reduce the cast's salaries. It would seem to me that there's a pay dispute going on behind the scenes, and this seems like a retaliatory move by Fox in anticipation of the position Groening is hoping to force them into with however the SDCC affair goes down. At this point each player has made a public move to goad the other in their favor. It's like we're watching a game of chess being played out between Groening and Fox, only one of our eyes is covered up and half the pieces on the board are checkers.
I wouldn't freak too much. Not yet, at least. Yes I agree it's kind of sketchy on Fox's behalf, but it's business and they're just playing the hand dealt (while simultaneously threatening to replace the whole deck).
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006123.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
They could always replace Billy West with Seth MacFarlane.
There is not a low enough level of hell to send you to for that suggestion.
It was a joke. I wanted to go a bit longer before clarifying that, but I'm too afraid that I'll get banned for such heresy.
Here's some Japanese Futurama fan art to lighten the mood:
No matter how well intentioned (and it's Fox, so it's not well intentioned at all), it's just going to be a grotesque mess . . . and possibly make me cry.
:evil:
He was a huge fan.
They already have a few guys on their cast who do like, 7 voices each. How much cheaper can hiring new people be?
I think Billy West even admitted that he made Fry's voice his own so that it'd be impossible to copy it or replace him. Let's hope it works.
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Variety is reporting they were asking 75k an episode. There are other really talented voice actors and even impressionists out there. I'm sure they could find someone who could match the voice, but there is also the having to be a good actor side of it.
And someone here said they hate the character of Fry. How can that possibly be?
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
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I only saw the first two, but as someone quoted before, the writers needed to put the universe on the line in each movie.
Never judge anything about Futurama on those movies.
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You people are horrible human beings. Not Fox horrible, but horrible nonetheless.
This speaks so poorly of Fox, though. They have gotten away with a lot of bullshit, canceling or seemingly sabotaging some good shows, but bringing back a beloved show and then gutting it is something new.
Edit: whoops, forgot about Family Guy.
Here is some Western art to darken the mood: