New Futurama Season replacing main voice actor's

[Seig]

So is anyone else going to pass on the new season if this goes down? How could they get rid of Billy West he does Fry, Farnsworth, Zoidberg, and Zap.

'Futurama' without original voices? - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

'Futurama' without original voices?
Talks between Fox TV, cast members break down

When "Futurama" returns to TV next year, it might be without the show's original voice cast.

Talks have broken down between 20th Century Fox TV and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille over how much they should be paid to take part in the show.

The studio announced last month that it would produce 26 new episodes of "Futurama," and that Comedy Central was on board to begin airing the new episodes in mid-2010. As part of the announcement, the show's producers said stars including West, Sagal and DiMaggio had all signed on to return.

Turns out that wasn't true.

The stars had all expressed interest in returning. But with the budget for "Futurama" dramatically slashed, the salary offers came in well below what the thesps were asking.

As a result, 20th has put out a casting call to find replacement voice actors for the show.

It's not the first time 20th has gone that route during a tough negotiation on one of its toons. The studio previously made a similar move on "The Simpsons" when it couldn't come to a deal with its stars. Casting feelers were sent out for replacements, but a deal was eventually made with the original cast.

The situation is unusual this time around in that 20th and Comedy Central have been kicking around ways to make "Futurama," originally produced for a broadcast network (Fox), make financial sense for a cable run. Yet there's also still a possibility -- and a window built in -- for "Futurama" to run on a broadcast network first.

It's believed that the "Futurama" cast members were asking for around $75,000 per episode; it was not clear what 20th was offering. Calls to the voice stars' reps were not immediately returned.

Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, "Futurama" originally aired on Fox from 1999 to 2003. The success of the show's repeats on DVD and cable, as well as a series of first-run DVD releases, led to the decision to revive "Futurama."

Other costs slashed in the process led to a smaller writing staff and a shorter delivery schedule.

"We love the 'Futurama' voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands," 20th Century Fox TV said in a statement. "While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt and David's brilliantly subversive characters."

[The Ancient]

My god executives are stupid sometimes. If you can't get the actors the show might as well have 0 budget. Nobody wants to watch that shit with an entirely new voice cast.

[Kaige]

Billy West pretty much is that show, I'd never watch it without him.

[dak]

*shrug* Every other aspect of the show was done in some Korean shit hole, might as well throw voice acting on the heap with the rest.

Fox will grab a couple good Indian telemarketing voice trainers and a few slants who are willing to work for beans and the new cast shall be born.

[Korioni]

Its soul will not be the same

[Araxen]

I find it absurd FOX couldn't put the show on Sunday's. NFL Post-game(7:00)/Futurama(7:30)/Simpson's(8:00)/Cleveland Show(8:30)/Family Guy(9:00)/American Dad(9:30).

The show has to do just as good as Family Guy does in DVD sales and I find it absurd they are trying to low-ball the voice talent for the show. It'll do shit for ratings on cable w/o the real voices.

[chthonic-anemos]

god fuck fox

[Azrayne]

Wouldn't touch a new season with a 10 foot pole if they don't have the original voices

[TheOkapi]

Those fucking bastards! I bought every dvd, every movie, to get them back. Now the show is going to be back without my favorite voice actors? Fuck that shit. Their voices MADE that show for me. So disappointed.

[psu199]

I've got to imagine this is a ploy to get the main guys to take less money. I just don't see them coming back without the main actors. Hell, Billy West has said before that he pretty much made Fry just a younger version of himself so nobody would ever be able to perfectly imitate him.

I don't even see it as being particularly cost effective to get new people. I mean Billy West, John Di Maggio, Tress MacNeille, Phil LaMarr, Maurice LaMarche, and Dave Herman are probably responsible for 90% of the characters in the entire show. How many new actors would you need to replace those 6 people?

Also, having listened to pretty much all of the dvd commentary and stuff, it genuinely seems like there is a very high level of respect that Groening and David X Cohen have for these people and what they mean to the show. So my fingers are crossed that they'll find a way to work it out and bring them on board.

With that all said, I work with a few actors/actresses and they all saw the casting notices listed in their acting websites. (Actors Access? LA Casting? Shit like that I think) So at least that report is genuine.

[Astrocreep]

if this shit goes down i wont even bother watching it. been a billy west fan since he started on the howard stern show. he will always be larry fine to me. was great as Stimpy too. fuck fox if they cant get this right without blowing it cuz of money. cancel that cleveland shit and divert the cash to futurama. nobody wants to see it anyway.

[ex-genj]

This 100% sounds like a PR stunt.

[brekk]

So will this machine be inaccurate now?

[Zanoan]

Originally Posted by brekk

So will this machine be inaccurate now?

rofl, pretty creepy

[Qhue]

Billy West is irreplaceable. Period.