Toon Zone Talkback - "Futurama" Voice Cast *WILL* Return for New Episodes in 2010

Curious: where's everyone getting this "ten-fold" number from? The Variety link on the first page is broken, and none of the other articles I've read have anything that specific about just how big an increase they're asking for.



West has gone on record as saying (only half-jokingly) that he voiced Fry that way in part because it would make him very difficult to recast.
 
This news is either yet another in a series of publicity/negotiating stunts as many have suspected, or it is indeed a very very bad development.



Before anyone else gets pedantic again, I do realize that you're using "FOX" as a shorthand reference to the 20th Century Fox Television production company that makes Futurama for Comedy Central, and not the FOX television network that used to show Futurama years ago.

All references to Fox in this discussion should assume the distinction, but a few people like to harp on the point.

Moderator Note: No double-posting, please.
 
This is all pretty much for publicity then. Yes, the actors are asking for salary increases, but would they willingly go on stage to be shot down in public? Sounds humiliating no matter which way the Fox executive decides if the show goes on. The actors are the christians and the Fox exec the thumbs up or down emperor. Ick.
 
WHAT?!?:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:





I second this post. No way. You can't take away the main characters voices, and hopefully an outcry will help them change their minds.

Oh, man I was looking forward to this revival so much. Oh, this makes me very angry!:marvin:
 
It has to be a bad development. Kicking the actors off the panel is much too far-fetched to be a publicity stunt.

The VA's are not nearly as expendable as FOX wants to pretend. It the ratings for the new episodes have ot start at rock bottom for them to realize that, then so be it.
 
Oh man, this is just a terrible idea. I would love to see the show come back, but they have to have them with the original voice actors, that's what made the show. I can already sense that ratings to be worse than they were before and the show will not last very long because of it.
 
Well, they've always worked things out before--with the exception of the nonunion shows like Pokemon and DBZ (although DBZ moved quite a distance anyway and they went with local actors). Don't see why things would change now. It'd be a win-win if the actors came back. Jobs for them, better karma for the suits.
 
Toon Zone Talkback - "Futurama" Voice Cast *WILL* Return for New Episodes in 2010

It?s a gambit. They obviously want the original voice actors, and through scheduling these auditions, they?re hoping that they can put enough pressure on them in order to get them to accept a worse deal. It sucks, but even ?The Simpsons? threatened to get new voice actors at one point when they had trouble reaching a similar deal. Business can be ugly.
 
To be fair, Variety isn't exactly known for making stuff up completely, like, say, the National Enquirer. Plus, when it comes to contract negotiations, you'll never get anyone from the company/corporation to go on record giving their side of the story. Especially in a situation like this where they want the VAs to be neither confident nor mad; the less communication Fox provides on this issue the better their chances of getting a contract with the VAs.
 
Blurg, this is horrid. I was still optimistic for the Future 'o Rama until now. How can the recasts be anything but pale imitations? There are some things you just don't skimp on the dough for!

So now what? Simpsons has turned rotten, Family Guy has turned rotten, none of the animated shows they tried this year were any good and failed on takeoff. For the first time since second grade, I don't have a cartoon I can depend on. I hope this isn't the beginning of a long dark tunnel.

Blurg, you know? Just....blurg.
 
But it's not gonna happen. They aren't willing to work for so little, and it's not uncommon for voice actors to get the low end of the bargain. Also this isn't the first time Billy West has rejected an offer to return to a revived show.
 
I'm with DG on this one. It sucks that this was finally coming back, only for this to happen. I will probably pass on this too, though I may watch out of curiosity.
 
I'm surprised that more people don't find asking for $75k to voice a cartoon show insane. It's even worse when you think of how underpaid the actual writers of the show are. How can they act like this is a reasonable increase when most of them have no problem doing other animated series for far less?
 
This same thing happened to The Simpsons' voice actors in 2004, and look, everything became just dandy, but when veterans in the TV business that's on a better show that's coming back from the dead thanks to all the success on Adult Swim, DVDs and Comedy Central, Fox's only paying them $75,000? That's low and pathetic. Billy, Joe, Katey, Phil, David and Lauren all deserve it as much as the voices on The Simpsons.

Any does Futurama really need to be renewed? It ended just right with Fry and Leela together, so why continue it?
 
I do agree, it is kind of ridiculous to ask that much money. Especially Billy West, who was one of the more vocal supporters of the show returning, then suddenly saying "Give me more money and I'll come back". Pretty rude of him considering how he is well aware how big the fanbase is.
 
:sad:...I was looking forward to a Futurama revival,since it's one of my favorite series,but if they're going to replace most/all of the cast,forget it....I can't imagine those characters being voiced by anyone else,much like if someone were to replace the entire cast of The Simpsons,Family Guy,or King of the Hill....
 
How is $75,000 per episode "low and pathetic"? It's around a million and a half dollars a year. That's an incredibly generous amount of cash, not to mention a lot more on what VAs normally gain.
 
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