The Mexican voice actors who dub the show for Latin America, that is.
According to Gabriel Chavez, the Mexican equivalent of Harry Shearer, the voice actors had been told they’d be doing the dubbing for The Simpsons Movie as a condition to end their 2005 strike. If they get passed over, “there will be a boycott across Latin America of the film.” Which raises a question you don’t really hear asked much: Who will replace the Mexican workers? [KTRK]
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Some Simpsons Movie-related toys that are coming up are raising more questions than answers.
Not a huge surprise, as McFarlane Toys is best known for coming out with the best-looking action figures out there, so the announcement that they have been tapped to support the release of THE SIMPSONS MOVIE on July 27th, with a line of intricately detailed action figures, was good news all around. The characters will feature incredible character detail (see below), but also a voice-chip technology, which will allow them to “speak” exclusive dialog from the film. Each figure comes mounted to a customized base, and, as an added feature, the “Movie Mayhem” line of figures come with interlocking bases so the figures can be combined to create one large scene. The line will include a 6-inch figure line and three boxed sets.
There’s a boxed set entitled “What you lookin’ at?! Bart, Ned Flanders and Top-Secret Character (??????)” and two special sets, one featuring Itchy & Scratchy and the other entitled “Doodle Double Dare” (?????????????). Click here for a picture of a pig. [JoBlo]
City officials have accepted an invitation from 20th Century Fox to compete against other Springfields across the country in a contest where the winner will host the premiere screening of “The Simpsons Movie,” due out in July. The film is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.
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Gwyne Ortiz, a Fox publicist, said Fox has asked 16 Springfields from Oregon to Massachusetts to participate in the contest.
Studio execs will pick the winner after reviewing short films submitted by local officials. Each entry should showcase a community’s positive aspects, and somehow link it to “The Simpsons” TV show. The megapopular prime-time animated series created by Portland-born Matt Groening is now in its 18th season.
“We want each Springfield to express the highlights of what they do, and have it tie into the whole Simpsons element,” Ortiz said.
Not sure why any city would want to be like “America’s Worst City” (according to Time magazine) but OK [The Register-Guard]
It can be hard to get noticed amid the hustle and bustle of a red carpet — just ask Minnie Driver. “I’m in ‘The Simpsons Movie’!” the Oscar-nominated acress piped up… Reluctant to let plot points slip because, she said, “I could tell you about it, and then I’d literally get shot by [‘Simpsons’ creator] Matt Groening,” Driver nevertheless revealed she’ll be playing “a patronizing grievance counselor in one hilarious scene.”
Ruh-roh! We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one… [MTV]
But with [South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut], we had an R-Rated version of a show not yet in its prime held back by censors; with The Simpsons Movie, we have a longer, PG-13 episode of a show that hasn’t been funny in ages. Great. I’m so excited.
An inside source at Gracie Films has provided us with a top-secret framegrab of a scene from The Simpsons Movie. Click here for the inside scoop!!!
In the latest Simpsons Movie trailer, the announcer mentions Itchy while listing a multitude of characters, but curiously omits Scratchy. Could this be confirmation that the feline star of “That Happy Cat” won’t be appearing in the movie??? Developing… [Apple Movie Trailers]Yes, according to some random guy on the internet. Here’s a made-up quote purportedly from Matt Groening:
Die hard fans may get a long overdue recurring gag. Remember the episode where Lester and Eliza saved the day instead of Bart and Lisa? That was disturbing, and I personally expected them to come back and wreak more havoc. A decade later, we may finally get closure. “I think we put them in The Simpsons movie. They were in one draft. I’m not sure if they survive.”
3/8/2007 UPDATE: I guess the quote wasn’t made up! You can see it here in this interview with Crave Online.
Matt Groening:
“The scripts evolved incredibly. Characters have come and gone, story twists have changed, huge sequences have been storyboarded and then deleted. One of our favourite new characters is totally out, just to streamline the story. Nothing’s sacred. As good as the film is going to be, the DVD, with all our deleted scenes, is going to be a hell of a bonus package.”
[Empire via No Homers Club]
The Simpsons Movie, which has been anticipated for nearly two decades, and in production over the past three years or so, is finally coming out in only six short months from now! What’s the latest status on its progress?
“We’re still trying to figure out what the movie is about,” admitted show producer James L. Brooks during a recent Television Critics Association panel discussions attended by FilmStew.
