A Futurama Movie Could Be In The Cards At Hulu
The constant cancelations and resurrections of "Futurama" have taught its makers to be nimble. The initial run of "Futurama" lasted four seasons from March 1999 until August 2003. At the time, it seemed like that was the end of things, but it would prove to be a mere five-year hiatus.
"Futurama" returned in 2008 in the form of four straight-to-DVD feature-length movies. The first one, "Bender's Big Score" was about a mysterious time-travel code tattooed on Fry's butt. The second, "The Beast with a Billion Backs," was about a lovelorn Lovecraftian space deity that romances everyone on Earth. "Bender's Game" saw the Planet Express crew transported into a Gygaxian fantasy universe (likely serving as the inspiration for Matt Groening's "Disenchantment"). "Into the Wild Green Yonder" concerns psychic waves pulsing through the universe, tinfoil hats, and a feminist uprising. The movies were eventually broadcast on TV, each one split up into four episodes.
The four movies have created a taxonomic headache for archivists. Do they each count as their own miniature season, or do all four count as a season unto themselves? /Film abides by the former, with the new season of "Futurama," currently airing on Hulu, to be the show's 11th. Other places online — notably Wikipedia — see the current season as the eighth.
Under the current deal, Hulu will be putting out 20 new episodes for the new season. Whether or not there will be more beyond that remains a question mark. Luckily, thanks to the above-mentioned nimbleness, the producers are ready for wherever the show may take them. In fact, "Futurama" producer Claudia Katz recently spoke with MovieWeb and noted that more shows would be great, but she is also open to the idea of another "Futurama" movie.
Shut up, and take my money!
Before anyone gets their hopes up for a theatrically released, big-budget "Futurama" movie along the lines of "The Simpsons Movie" from 2007, know that Katz was referring to a deal that she and the other showrunners would make with Hulu. That sort of deal would more likely dictate a straight-to-streaming feature very much in line with "Bender's Big Score," et al. Currently, "Futurama" is working its way through its assigned 20 episodes with no promise of renewal. At least, not judging by what Katz said:
"Hulu has done an amazing job launching the new episodes and we hope they'll order more. And, maybe a movie, why not?"
Katz also expressed enthusiasm in a recent interview with io9, where she said she hoped that she and the other showrunners would be allowed to expand their series beyond the current 20-episode slate, and that "Given the scope of our universe and all the stories left to tell," that it should go on "a really, really long time." A movie — or more likely four movies — now seems more likely, given the precedent set by the 2008 "four-in-one" episodes.
The extant "Futurama" movies are, true to the medium, larger in format and broader in storytelling than the series, and the writers have proven they can jump back into the series at any time to expand into bigger narratives. Hulu may prove capricious, but Katz and her staff will never not be ready to jump back in with something bigger.
As for a theatrically-released "Futurama" feature film, there will likely be many fans who would eagerly run out to re-enact one of the most popular "Futurama" memes.