More Seasons Of Futurama In The Works After Hulu Revival?
Claudia Katz, executive producer of Futurama, hopes the series will return for a ninth season. She recently told SFX Magazine that the series’ revival on Hulu has left her hopeful that the streamer will order more episodes of the legendary animated sci-fi comedy. So far, the 20-episode eighth season has been getting great reviews only two episodes in, but Hulu has not renewed it for another season.
Following a successful launch of the Futurama reboot on Hulu, executive producer Claudia Katz is hopeful the series will be renewed for another season.
Futurama has remained beloved since its original run was cut short on Fox in 2003, just over four years after its debut. The direct-to-DVD movies produced following the series rights being sold to Comedy Central were also successful.
Bender’s Big Score and The Beast with a Billion Backs, both released in 2008, along with 2009’s Bender’s Game and Into the Wild Green Yonder, were cut into a 16-episode fifth season, which sparked a renewal on the cable network.
The sixth and seventh seasons of Futurama appeared on Comedy Central with 26 episodes each in 2012 and 2013 before the series ended again—seemingly for good. Well, there was that 2014 episode of The Simpsons, “Simpsorama” that featured the series’ characters, but other than that, it seemed the party was over for Bender, Leela, Fry, and company. But that was before Hulu stepped in nearly a decade later and announced the current revival.
One of Futurama‘s biggest stars, John DiMaggio, almost didn’t return as Bender after trouble reaching a deal with Hulu.
Unlike its more famous cousin The Simpsons, also created by Matt Groening, Futurama has not had a smooth ride. Fans have remained faithful, but eking out eight seasons over the course of more than two decades is not quite the same as its ancestor series’ track record of 35 consecutive seasons and counting. This return to episodes after so many years away seems to have left Katz feeling invigorated and ready for more.
Hollywood Strikes
Whether more Futurama episodes are in our future or not cannot yet be said, due to both the lack of word from Hulu and the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The strikes mean no writers and no actors for the foreseeable future. And an actor’s negotiations almost stalled out the start of the series revival as well.
One of Futurama‘s biggest stars, John DiMaggio, almost didn’t return as Bender after trouble reaching a deal with Hulu. Fans were outraged at the thought of a different actor playing the irascible robot, with theories flying as to who might take the role and many saying they would boycott the new version of the series if Hulu would not offer DiMaggio a fair deal.
But, after a month of haggling, the actor came aboard on the basis of a new and better agreement being struck.
While Katz says that every Futurama has had a season finale each year that they hope will not become a series finale, she expresses hope that more episodes will be ordered. And she seems to speak for the rest of the crew and cast with that enthusiasm. Fans are likely hopeful too, as this scrappy sci-fi series continues to come back for more.
