Good News, Everyone: 'Futurama' Is Being Revived (Again) So You Can Go Back to the Animated Future
Once again exploring life in the 31st century, the animated favourite will return for 20 new episodes in 2023.
You can put a beloved animated series into cryogenic stasis, but someone is going to thaw it out one day. In Futurama's case, US streaming platform Hulu has announced plans to defrost the Matt Groening-created show about life in the 31st century, marking the second time that it has been brought back. Originally airing from 1999–2003, the futuristic animated series then returned from 2008–2013 — and now it'll be revived again in 2023.
Obviously, in the words of Professor Hubert J Farnsworth: good news, everyone!
Hulu has announced a new 20-episode run for Futurama, as well as the return of most of the original voice cast. That means that you'll be spending more time with Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West), the 20th-century pizza delivery guy who managed to get accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year's Eve 1999, only to defrost a thousand years later — and then get a job delivering packages with Planet Express, the cargo company run by Farnsworth, his distant nephew.
It also means more antics with one-eyed Planet Express captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal); fellow company employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom) and Zoidberg (also West); and everyone from self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again) and his amphibious 4th Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche) through to scheming corporation owner Mom (Tress MacNeille).
One key cast member who hasn't yet been confirmed for the Futurama revival: John DiMaggio, aka the voice of constantly sauced robot Bender Bending Rodríguez. Variety reports that it's still hoped that DiMaggio will return for this trip back to the animated future, but if that doesn't happen, Bender will be recast.
Whoever will be exclaiming "bite my shiny metal ass!", Futurama will keep doing what it did hilariously well over its past seven seasons and four direct-to-DVD movies: peering at life in the year at 3000 and beyond in its offbeat way.
"I'm thrilled to have another chance to think about the future... or really anything other than the present," said David X Cohen, Futurama's head writer and executive producer, in Hulu's announcement.
"It's a true honour to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get canceled abruptly again," added The Simpsons great Matt Groening.
Viewers Down Under can likely expect to watch the new Futurama via Disney+, given that the Mouse House owns Hulu and airs Hulu shows in Australia and New Zealand via its Star expansion — but expect further specifics to be confirmed, alongside a premiere date, as 2023 approaches.
New episodes of Futurama are set to air in 2023 — we'll update you with further details, including where you'll be able to watch Down Under, when they're announced.
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