The Futurama Reboot Could Be Hitting Screens This Summer
To quote Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth: "We have a very dramatic announcement, so anyone with a weak heart should leave now." In other words: Good news, everyone! The long-awaited reboot of "Futurama" is coming to Hulu sooner rather than later. This summer, to be exact. Lauren Tom, who voices Amy on the series, suggested as much on Twitter, telling a fan, "The new episodes should be released sometime this summer! Can't wait for you to see them!"
The beloved Matt Groening series never achieved the same ratings highs as Groening's other, yellower hit show, "The Simpsons," but it gained enough of a fanbase to earn two reboots in its lifetime. After the first run of "Futurama" ended on Fox in 2003, the show gained enough new fans via syndication to earn a new lease on life at Comedy Central. However, those new seasons ended in 2013, thus leaving fans with nine "Futurama"-less years in which no new news about the series came to light. Thankfully, Hulu renewed the show once again in 2022, kickstarting a whole new era of "Futurama"-related excitement. Naturally, the returning voice cast is excited as well.
Everyone from the original cast is returning, including John DiMaggio
John DiMaggio, who voices the foul-mouthed and vice-ridden robot, Bender, on the series, incited a firestorm of controversy (and his own hashtag, #Bendergate) when he announced that he would be turning down the "Futurama" revival. According to information that DiMaggio shared, the actor had experienced a minor disagreement with Hulu over his castmates' salary for the new episodes. Thankfully, though, DiMaggio worked out his problems with the streaming service and later announced that he would join the rest of the original "Futurama" cast for the reboot. That includes, of course, Billy West (Phillip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Doctor Zoidberg), Katey Sagal (Turanga Leela), Phil LaMarr (Hermes Conrad), and Lauren Tom (Amy Wong).
As for the content of the episodes, that's anyone's guess. However, if the episode titles for the new season are any indication, then "Futurama" will be tackling some hot button topics. Case in point: The episode "Zapp Gets Cancelled," which promises a new hurdle for Zapp that should have honestly happened a long time ago. On the other hand, the title could just be a misdirection. Who can really say, especially considering the show often veered from jokes about underground sewer people living in the ruins of New York to some of the most heartbreaking episodes in animation — like that one episode featuring Fry's fossilized dog that could have actually been sadder.