Introduction to The Simpsons Film
The creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, has revealed that the team behind the series often discusses the possibility of a second film, but there are no concrete plans in place. Groening shared this information at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where he received an honorary crystal award.
Challenges of Making the First Film
Groening explained that making the first film, which was released in 2007, was a challenging experience for the team. "The first film killed us," he said. The team had to work on the film and the series simultaneously, which led to a lot of pressure and stress. They even had a countdown clock on the wall, which they called "The Simpsons Death Watch," to keep track of the time they had left to finish the film.
Possibility of a Second Film
Despite the challenges they faced, the team is open to the idea of making another film. However, they want to make sure they have a good story to tell before they start working on it. David Silverman, who has directed many episodes of The Simpsons, including the 2007 film, said that they don’t want to take a break from making the series to work on a film. They need to find a story that is worthy of being a film.
The Ideal Film Length
If the team were to make another film, they would want it to be shorter than the first one. Matt Selman, who has written for the show since 1997 and has been the showrunner since 2021, joked that they would want to make the shortest film possible that they could still charge full price for.
Lessons Learned from the First Film
Groening revealed that the 2007 film originally had a scene where Mr. Burns appeared on screen 10 minutes into the film to inform the audience that they could no longer get a refund for their ticket. However, the joke was cut after test audiences reacted poorly to it. The team learned that the audience didn’t appreciate being mocked and shamed for watching the film.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Animation
The team also discussed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in animation. Groening believes that AI will never be able to replace human animators and writers, as it lacks a sense of humor. Silverman added that the animation production pipeline is not suitable for AI, and that it would only confuse things.
The Limitations of AI
Selman joked that the team wants to be the last show to be accepted by AI, not the first. They have a text thread where they share examples of AI errors related to the show, and they are amused by the mistakes AI makes. Groening quipped that AI stands for "artificial idiocy."
Conclusion
The Simpsons team is open to the idea of making another film, but they want to make sure they have a good story to tell. They are skeptical about the role of AI in animation and believe that human animators and writers are essential to creating good content. The 37th season of The Simpsons will be broadcast in the fall, and the team is excited to see what the future holds.
