Many of you were saying "yay!" to the news that Futurama would be returning for 26 all-new episodes. But what if the original cast doesn't come along for the revival?
Turns out Paula Abdul isn't the only star having contract negotiation problems these days: Talks have broken down between the original voice cast of Futurama and the 20th Century Fox TV studio about how much the actors should be paid for their work. Writes Variety:
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 — believed to be around $75,000 per episode.
So, the studio has hired casting directors to start auditioning new Benders, Frys, and Leelas. That could just be a negotiating tactic — it's been used before for The Simpsons — but it could also really mean that the original actors don't return.
When I think about voice recasting, I always think about Disney's revival of the Nickelodeon cartoon Doug — I loved the original Doug, but it totally weirded me out to hear a different voice coming out of Doug's mouth. (Coincidentally, the original voice of Doug — Billy West — also voices Fry on Futurama!) If the original cast doesn't come along, would you still be excited for the new episodes of Futurama? Or, do you think that without them, the show isn't worth bringing back?
Mark Davis
I was so sad when I first heard about this...I can't imagine anyone else voicing Bender, Fry, and Leela! I guess I'll just have to suck it up.
1I'm also a big Doug fan (obviously!), and it was never the same with the new voices.
2The cast of Futurama is too perfect and too tied to their characters, not just in terms of the actual voice, but with comic timing and inflection and all that. There's no way the show will survive without them.
No way would I watch it without the original cast.
3please please please let this be a publicity stunt for Comicon. I don't want new Futurama if the cast isn't the same
4It would feel odd the first few episodes not hearing the normal voices.
5It's still worth bringing back, but the new cast would hurt for a little while. Still... it needs to be back.
6I never watched Doug, but they changed the voices on Inspector Gadget when I was a kid...I could never watch it again.
7I hope they all come back or they can bite my shiney metal a**!
Hahah hinkey - totally agree !
8Considering the sheer amount of talent Billy West provides to any show he's on, I would think that he's worth whatever he (and the others) are asking for. Just think about how much Dreamworks spent to have their totally ridiculous all-celebrity voice cast for a piece of dreck like Shark Tale -- Billy West surely costs less than that and is infinitely more talented at voice over work. (Obviously, FOX isn't going to spend Dreamworks-level money to get a celebrity voice cast, I'm just trying to highlight how ridiculous it is not to pay a professional voice actor who does multiple characters the amount he deserves when some companies would pay more to get a completely indistinct voice just because it happens to be a celebrity, regardless of whether or not its right for the role.)
9What a damper!
10It would not be the same without the original cast. They should do whatever they can to come to an agreement with the cast.
11No way. It wouldn't be the same!
12I'm going to need all of the original voices..and I didn't know new eps were coming out, yay!
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