The Future On Film: What If ‘Futurama’ Were Made Into a Movie?

If I had to decide which of Matt Groening’s hit animated sitcoms was more deserving of a theatrical release, it would not have been The Simpsons. But, of course, in 2007, the inevitable happened, and TV’s favourite family hit the big screen, with critics worldwide lauding it, regardless of its true quality. We all knew it would happen. Since the Tracey Ullman shorts in 1987, The Simpsons has blossomed into one of the greatest television series of all time; such a remarkable feat needed some kind of cinematic tribute acknowledging its longevity. True, it was deserved, although I’ve personally always considered Groening’s ‘other’ show, the oft-maligned Futurama, to be more suited for a cinematic release. To begin with, the visuals would be sublime. As a sci-fi comedy, creatively, there would be endless potential for a theatrical release. And that got me thinking, in the same vein as the ‘anthologies of interest’, what if it were to get a theatrical adaptation following its second cancellation?

Ignoring the fact that it would be highly unlikely, Futurama has far more theatrical appeal, visually, than The Simpsons, which remains strictly a TV affair. Indeed, the former maintains a more ‘epic’ feel. The CG space visuals, the colours, the characters – they would make for a great movie. Since 1999, the misadventures of delivery boy Philip J. Fry have graced the airwaves on and off for fourteen years or so, and since the series tells a definite story, a cinematic release may, at some point in the show’s history, have been a smart move. I’ve always thought so. For one thing, it would have been a great way to reel in a new wave of potential fans. But then that got me wondering whether it would still be a good idea, after having endured seven long production seasons.

Problem 1: Continuity

A Futurama theatrical release undoubtedly has its disadvantages, particularly in terms of the show’s ongoing story arcs. Unlike its big yellow brother, Futurama maintains a chronology that is pertinent to the development of its characters, arching narrative, and its followers. Since the programme’s inception, certain events were planned in advance, with many later episodes referring back to the events of the pilot and early episodes. There’s a continuity involved which, while still somewhat rather loosely abided by, makes it difficult for the series to stray from its familiar 22-minute format. With a theatrical release, it’s likely that all such vital occurrences would either be disregarded or downplayed in an attempt to appeal more so to the casual viewer. The difficulty lies in the fact that, while adhering to an episodic structure, Futurama does have a story to it – that of pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry’s being forced to wake one thousand years in the future as the sole hope of the universe. There would likely be no such drive felt in a theatrical feature, as any regard to this would likely pertain only to hard-core fans of the series.

Problem 2: Format

Another issue is the issue of pacing. Although The Simpsons Movie (2007) was a box office success, much of this success can probably be attributed to their already exalted status as the arguable king of the animated sitcom. The movie wasn’t bad as such – it just felt tired, forgettable, and essentially just like an extended episode that was unsurprisingly light on laughs. Futurama would likely suffer from a similar problem – in fact it already has. The show’s fifth production season was initially distributed as a series of four straight-to-DVD movies, split up into four-part episodes for television. Technically, these are extended episodes rather than movies, but the principle is the same. The first of the ‘movies’, and arguably the best, Bender’s Big Score (2007) represented a tremendous comeback, but provided very little for new viewers to become heavily invested, relying too much on call-backs and an alienating, complex plot to impress fans. It was good, but something only the already-established Futurama viewer could appreciate.

The specials that followed were less convoluted, but altogether proved rather slow and hard to swallow in a single 90-minute sitting. The Beast With a Billion Backs (2008) is weird even by Futurama’s standards and ultimately peters out into a black hole by its conclusion, leaving you wondering just what the hell happened. Bender’s Game (2008), meanwhile, represents something of an anomaly: its first half exhibits some of the best comedy and character interactions since the original series, which concluded in its prime in 2003. But the second half, a weak, feeble and frankly lazy Lord of the Rings/Dungeons and Dragons parody, laden with incongruous toilet humour, sadly renders the special one of the Planet Express crew’s worst ever outings. The final special, Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009) is another contender for the title of the best of the films, being as its pacing is far more even than that of its predecessors. A major problem with this film, aside from its occasional forced humour, is its dispersal of the main ensemble – which consequently results in the abandonment of an emotional underscore which was boasted by the original series as one of its prime appeals. The Futurama we know has heart, and pulls off emotional scenes with a stirring finesse that sets it apart from its prime time competitors. Instead, the season five finale, which would, in previous seasons, have maintained more of a rousing and poignant climax, is ultimately conveyed as a rather rushed affair. With this in mind, a theatrical release would probably not improve upon this in terms of pacing, at least not substantially.

Problem 3: The Ending

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; the final special was far from terrible, but as a contender for the series finale, it disappointed. The truth is, since their renewal on Comedy Central in their more familiar episode format, the Planet Express crew delivered far more good episodes than stinkers. Futurama was back, and looked as if it were here to stay. However, low ratings persisted and the show was once again concluded in its prime – this time with a satisfying conclusion, which acts as an appropriate lead-in to the final problem I want to address: the show ended perfectly. Another addition to the long-running franchise would simply be too much. Sure, I, along with many others, initially had my doubts about their Comedy Central run, but they proved they still had a lot of juice left in them. But now, like The Simpsons, it feels too late in its run to boost the franchise.

Problem 4: The Status Quo

There are also issues involved if something truly ground-breaking were achieved. The final episode of season seven, and what is currently regarded as the finale, ‘Meanwhile’, acts as a fine conclusion to a long-running franchise, in that it focuses on the relationship between Fry and Leela, which finally appears to reach its peak. Looking back, it’s clear to see just why the series ended the way it did. The writers had the chance to exceed expectations and achieve something revolutionary. Instead, they recede and hold back from delivering a wholesome conclusion. It’s understandable why this was done. While there may be continuity involved, Futurama is essentially a sitcom, and as a sitcom it needs to remain a constant, else it risks pretentiously devolving into some kind of farcical opus, disregarding its roots and becoming a sci-fi drama in its own right. A movie, therefore, would achieve very little at all, for fear of transcending its genre. All we have to do is look at The Simpsons Movie for proof of this. Certain aspects of the show were altered: Lisa found herself a boyfriend, Homer found himself a pig. But in terms of the series, nothing really changed. It might disappoint a few people out there, but ultimately that’s a good thing.

Conclusion:

So is a Futurama film feasible? Well, given the opportunity, yes, if only for the visuals. But the sad fact of the matter is that the story would likely serve little purpose in terms of the show’s narrative, and it otherwise risks disavowing its former developmental continuity in favour of the casual cinemagoer. There was a time when it felt like a good idea, but now that Futurama is wrapped up in a neat little package, it would probably be a better idea to retire the Planet Express crew once and for all, in a sense freezing them in time. What’s more, the show is irrefutably past its prime. While the Comedy Central run was very good, with a great deal of episodes maintaining a similar quality to those of the original series, it could never better its former glory. And while a theatrical release would certainly still be welcome, like The Simpsons, it probably wouldn’t amount to enough to satisfy the average Futurama fan. Indeed, put simply, a movie based on the sitcom set 1000 years in the future might be several years too late.

Image obtained from:

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009) Directed by: Peter Avanzino. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.