Futurama is officially dead before it is even revived

[Queasy]

Update (7/31 - Hooray! Thanks for the update CombatChuk!

July 31, 2009 - Rejoice! Reports are coming in that the cast of Futurama is returning! The Star is reporting that the cast has signed new deals with 20th Century Fox already. All of this comes hot on the heels of some nail-biting salary negotiations and a "no show" for the voice cast during the San Diego Comic-Con panel last weekend.

We contacted 20th Century Fox this afternoon for confirmation on the stories coming in and while it seems The Star might have been a bit premature saying the deals are done, what we hear is also very optimistic. 20th informed us that voice actor Maurice LaMarche ("Kif Kroker"/Additional Voices) posted that he would be returning on his Facebook page, and that deals with the rest of the cast are imminent and will hopefully be finalized by the end of the day.

At Comic-Con this past weekend, IGN TV spoke to John DiMaggio ("Bender") about the situation and he told us he was hopeful a deal would be made. Luckily, it looks like his hopes ? and the fans ? have paid off.

Update: According to sources at 20th Century Fox, Billy West and John DiMaggio have not yet signed, but are close. However, Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille are reportedly confirmed to have signed.

Update 2: And now we're completely in the clear! We just got this word from 20th Century Fox: "Just wanted you to know that we now have deals with the entire Futurama voice cast to return: John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Tress MacNeille and Katey Sagal."

Futurama creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen released this statement: "We are thrilled to have our incredible cast back. The call has already gone out to the animators to put the mouths back on the characters."

Who wants to bet there is at least one reference to all of this madness in an upcoming episode?

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Just when I was getting really excited for the revived Futurama, total bummer news emerges: The voice actors are going to be different. Who's going to Zoid my Zoidberg?

Twentieth Century Fox, which is still producing the series even though new episodes will air on Comedy Central, is recasting the major voice roles for the show. That means no more Billy West (Fry, Professor, and Ziodberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, among others), or Tress MacNeil (Mom, and several others). Worst!

Fox released a statement saying "We love the Futurama voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands. 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."

Is it still Futurama with totally different voices, PopWatchers, or can this news bite your shiny metal -- well, you know.

 

[torpid]

Ugh

 

[Saint Nick]

This is a terrible day.

 

[RedArmy]

Nothing can ruin a good show more than changing the voices of characters.

 

[Pantoot]

Good news, everyone! There's a report on TV with some very bad news!

 

[ViviTheMage]

wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut

nooooooooooooooooo

 

[darkxshade]

Bet the first episode deals with some catastrophe that causes their voices to change FOREVER!!!!!

 

[eplebnista]

Originally posted by: NightDarker
This is a terrible day.

Indeed it is

.

 

[amdhunter]

:thumbsdown:

 

[coldmeat]

Do people actually say "Worst!"?

 

[So]

Bad news everyone, nobody is watching us!

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
Bet the first episode deals with some catastrophe that causes their voices to change FOREVER!!!!!

I was thinking the same. It would be comical if they scripted that in somehow.

 

[Safeway]

How much did those jerks expect to get paid? All they do is talk into a microphone in-sync with the animation. They deserved to be replaced.

 

[Quiksilver]

You just ruined my day. Fuck it, I hope this shit falls on its ass hard.

 

[zerocool1]

Originally posted by: NightDarker
This is a terrible day.

x2

 

[nobody554]

Originally posted by: So
Good news everyone, nobody is watching us!

Fix'd

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Originally posted by: Safeway
How much did those jerks expect to get paid? All they do is talk into a microphone in-sync with the animation. They deserved to be replaced.

Not even in sync. The animation is done around the final take. All the actors do is say each line a set number of times.

 

[Modelworks]

No Billy West ? Crap that is Fry, Professor, Zoid Berg.
Sucks !

 

[Platypus]

lol @ fox

 

[darkswordsman17]

Twentieth Century Fox, which is still producing the series even though new episodes will air on Comedy Central

I think that explains it right there. When will Fox realize?

Why are the creators even going along with this? They have to realize this has fail written all over it.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Safeway
How much did those jerks expect to get paid? All they do is talk into a microphone in-sync with the animation. They deserved to be replaced.

Woah. You need to understand how much work it is.
I have seen actors who do voice work in studios. It is a lot of hours and many people who try to do it don't come off as believable. Look at all the animated movies and compare the voice work.

They sound like they are reading a script out of a book. A lot of them don't put any acting into it. Compare that to someone like the professor or Fry on futurama. You can tell how the character feels and is acting without even looking at the cartoons.

 

[middlehead]

NOW those fuckers say "the show must go on" ?

Somebody needs a fierce ovary punch.

 

[Safeway]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: Safeway
How much did those jerks expect to get paid? All they do is talk into a microphone in-sync with the animation. They deserved to be replaced.

Woah. You need to understand how much work it is.
I have seen actors who do voice work in studios. It is a lot of hours and many people who try to do it don't come off as believable. Look at all the animated movies and compare the voice work.

They sound like they are reading a script out of a book. A lot of them don't put any acting into it. Compare that to someone like the professor or Fry on futurama. You can tell how the character feels and is acting without even looking at the cartoons.

They wanted too much money, and could have kept their jobs and kept you happy. Instead, the were greedy.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Safeway


They wanted too much money, and could have kept their jobs and kept you happy. Instead, the were greedy.

We don't know what the offer was, so hard to say if they were being unreasonable.

 

[newb111]

It is now Futurama in name only. I will not be watching.