King Of The Hill Revival Not Coming Out For Years, Could It Get Canceled?
Fans who were anticipating the return of King of the Hill on Hulu will have a couple more years to wait as the production recovers from strikes and the loss of cast members. According to TVLine, the revival of the popular, Texas-based animated series was announced in January with co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels on board as executive producers. Earlier in the year, the new version of the series got as far as table reads for two episodes with a great deal of enthusiasm from cast and crew, but production was halted by the writers’ strike and then the actors’ strike.
The Revival Isn’t Expected For Years
King of the Hill then paused production along with the rest of Hollywood, but with resolutions to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA walkouts, things are humming once again. According to Daniels, production is “chugging along” with an expectation for the series to premiere on Hulu in 2025. Still, however, there is no set premiere date and the early part of 2025 represents a hopeful projection for the debut of the series.
Majority Of The Original Cast Returning
But King of the Hill has also faced challenges for its revival related to its cast. The majority of the original actors are returning to their roles for the new series, with co-creator Mike Judge returning as Hank, Peggy again voiced by Kathy Najimy, and Steven Root and Pamela Alden returning as Bill and Bobby, restrictively. The original voice of Luanne, Brittany Murphy, passed away in 2009, so it has long been known that her role would need to be recast.
But character lists for the King of the Hill revival have not included Khan, the Laotian next-door neighbor of Hank Hill. This could be because the role was originated by Toby Huss, a white actor playing an Asian character. In light of changes across the industry regarding situations where white actors have played characters of color, including Hank Azaria’s portrayal of Apu on The Simpsons, it is possible that the character will be cut or recast with an Asian actor.
Khan Not Returning
Daniels expressed uncertainty about whether the King of the Hill revival will include Khan’s character, though he expressed the intention to most likely cast a new actor should the character return. Remarking that when the series was originally cast in 1997, it was common for most cast members to play multiple roles, he noted that Huss was originally cast to play Cotton Hill, Hank’s father, and was used for Khan when the character was introduced because he was already a member of the cast. At that time, most animated productions did not have the budget available to bring new performers on for each new role, but Daniels notes that this condition has since changed.
Johnny Hardwick Passes Away
Sadly, actor Johnny Hardwick will also be absent from the King of the Hill revival, having died in August. Hardwick was the original voice of Dale Gribble, one of Hank’s friends. Before his death, however, he was able to complete “a couple” of episodes for the Hulu Revival of the series.
The Revival Will Release On Hulu
Daniel and King of the Hill’s fans are hoping to see the new version of the series premiere on Hulu in 2025.
