More news on the Nerd beat while Jonah is busy vacationing at the Precious Moments Chapel:
Nerds everywhere celebrated when Fox announced that they were relaunching Futurama for 26 new episodes on Comedy Central. Well, put away those pom-poms, my four-eyed brethren: There are grumblings that Fox might be planning to recast the voices of the series regulars:
According to no less than cast members John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, and Maurice LaMarche on their Facebook pages, a casting notice has gone out to replace actors DiMaggio, LaMarche, Billy West and Katy Sagal.
As Slog tipper Nat says: “This cannot stand.”
In order to end on a less outrageous (and slightly more porny) nerd note, I will now link to io9’s sci-fi cheesecake photo gallery. If anyone knows where I can locate a man-version of this gallery for balance, I will be happy to post the appropriate sausage-fest link as soon as I can.
Recast half the main characters?
Right after a series of successfully selling DVD films featuring that very same original cast?
What the frak?
They should just let it die. It has its moments, and I don’t mind it in syndication, but the newer feature length movies they’ve made are terrible. New voices, why bother? Just start a new series.
The best part is the opening old black and white TV and movie images, actually.
Clearly FOX in its infinite wisdom (?) thinks Futurama fans are only interested in the funny pictures and could care less about the voices.
I think they’re going to be terribly shocked and chagrined when wave upon wave of emails arrive in the suits’ inboxes telling them to bite several hundred thousand shiny metal asses…
OH. HELL. NO.
Will go over about as well when they had the hunky scabs on Dukes of Hazzard…
There is no way this is actually happening.
Which is more likely? Fox flying the cast to San Diego Comic Con for a Futurama panel shortly before replacing them? Or some of the cast members putting together a hoax and posting it on their Facebook pages (seriously, the source is their fucking Facebook pages?) to build up excitement for the official announcement at SDCC?
Not to mention the idea that anyone would think for a second that it’d be cost-effective to replace the voice actors they have now, who are versitile enough to handle multiple regular characters on their own, along with any minor characters that may come along.
Calm down, fellow nerds.
I’m not all that familiar with the situation – for all I know, it’s simply a matter of the original actors holding out for more money – but I can pass along a screenshot of an email I received yesterday from actor’s access (a casting website):
http://files.getdropbox.com/u/1426645/Pi…
Does anyone know how I can relate my nerdy outrage to a Fox executive?
I’m a huge Futurama/Simpsons fan, but will not watch if they recast. It could just be clever viral marketing to get people buzzing, but those voices are those characters, to me. I am content to let the storyline end where it did, it’s a good arc.
Only one of the 4 movies was even remotely funny, too. Who says more Futurama would be a good thing?
I’m pretty sure that tron guy is the be-all, end-all of the man-version.
http://www.tronguy.net/pictures.shtml
Sounds like someone’s jonesing for a new batch of Zorbo’s Executive Powder!
Hypnotoad is trying to pull a fast one. I hope.
Jesus, Billy West alone voices half of the characters on the show!
Maybe they should have done this when the cast of “Friends” was holding out for more money per episode. Of COURSE everyone would still have watched if they recast the whole show with six people who “looked pretty much” like the originals!
Why people think that voiceover actors somehow aren’t “real” actors, and that no one will be able to tell the difference, is beyond me.
I WILL DESTROY YOU!