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Futurama's surprise revival finds UK home

Photo credit: 20th Century Studios
Photo credit: 20th Century Studios

Futurama is officially coming back for new episodes, it was announced completely out of the blue yesterday (February 9).

20 new instalments are confirmed to be coming to streaming service Hulu in the US. Unsurprisingly, in the UK, it will be coming to Disney+, which has all of Futurama and The Simpsons in its library already. Production begins this month for a 2023 release.

It's been announced that cast members Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman will all be reprising their roles. You'll notice that John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender, is missing from that list.

Photo credit: 20th Century Studios
Photo credit: 20th Century Studios

The veteran voice actor, who is also famous for Adventure Time, Final Fantasy, Kim Possible and Gears of War, has been sharing reports about how a deal hasn't been worked out yet, and the role could be recast if one isn't. Producers are reportedly hoping he will return, but calls to audition to replace him have apparently already gone out.

DiMaggio has also been retweeting support from fellow voice actors and friends, who have threatened to boycott the revival if Bender doesn't keep his iconic voice.

"Thanks for the concern and the props, everyone. I really appreciate it," he wrote. "Don't worry, I'll keep you posted, but until then… CHEESE IT! #bendergate."

Futurama originally ran between 1999 and 2003, started getting movies in 2007, and was revived as a series between 2008 and 2013. It also got a one-off audio episode in 2017.

Meanwhile, The Simpsons producer Al Jean has admitted that he doesn't know how much longer the animated show can run for, and in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, he talked about his ideas for the final ever episode.

Both Futurama and The Simpsons are available to watch on Disney+.


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