Press.disney.co.uk
LONDON, UK (10 February 2022): The future is looking bright for Fry, Leela and Bender at Disney+. 20th Television Animation and Disney+ announced today the return of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy, “Futurama”. The order is for 20 new episodes and the series will go into production in February, with a 2023 premiere. The show’s returning voice cast includes stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman.
“I’m thrilled to have another chance to think about the future… or really anything other than the present,” said David X. Cohen.
“It’s a true honor to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get canceled abruptly again,” commented Matt Groening.
“What I love about animation is that it’s possible for a successful show to take a pause and then resume years later, even on a different platform, and pick up right where it left off. Futurama is one of those shows. The excitement about returning Matt and David’s genius creation for all-new episodes has been off the charts. I’m thrilled that this incredible team will get to tell more stories, and that our Planet Express crew will have more adventures together. It’s a win for the fans who have loved the show since the beginning, and for the ones who will now discover it for the very first time,” commented Marci Proietto, Head of 20th Television Animation.
First airing on FOX from 1999-2003, “Futurama” was brought back in 2007 with four direct-to-DVD movies that subsequently aired as 30-minute episodes on Comedy Central. Based on their success, Comedy Central ordered new seasons of the series which made a triumphant return to television in June 2010. “Futurama” is only the second series in the history of the medium to go back into production based on the strength of its DVD sales and repeat airings on cable. Over the course of its storied run, “Futurama” earned six Emmy® Awards--including two Outstanding Animated Program, seven Annie Awards, two Environmental Media Awards and two Writer’s Guild of America Awards. Over its seven seasons spanning two decades, 140 original episodes were produced, with the then-final episode airing on September 4, 2013.
“Futurama” focuses on the life of Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a "diverse" new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien and Bender, a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws.
“Futurama,” created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen, is produced by 20th Television Animation a part of Disney Television Studios, with Rough Draft Studios, Inc. contributing the animation.
***
ABOUT DISNEY+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the new general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ is part of the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution segment. The service offers commercial-free streaming alongside an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. And through Star, it offers the latest from 20th Century Studios, Disney Television Studios, FX, Searchlight Pictures, and more. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
ABOUT 20TH TELEVISION ANIMATION
A unit of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television Animation is a leading supplier of adult animated series. 20th Television Animation currently produces 11 animated shows across broadcast, cable and streaming services including the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, “The Simpsons” which recently celebrated its 700th episode; Hulu’s most-watched original comedy premiere to date “Solar Opposites” from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan; Emmy Award-winning comedy “Bob’s Burgers”, from Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith; FOX’s long-running “Family Guy” from Seth MacFarlane and showrunners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin; TBS’ No. 1 series “American Dad!”vcreated by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; Apple TV’s “Central Park” featuring the vocal talents of Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn and Tituss Burgess; and FOX’s most recent hit “The Great North” from Lizzie and Wendy Molyneux. Other 20th Television Animation classics include “Futurama”, “King of the Hill” and “The Cleveland Show”.