Written By: Ken HulseySource: Variety
This one's hot off the press!
Everyone can put away their weapons of mass destruction and cancel their plans to burn the offices of the Fox network to the ground! The original voice actors of the animated television series "Futurama", including Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille, have just inked a deal to return to the series for it's second run. Billy West and John DiMaggio have not yet signed on, but are expected to do so shortly.
Two weeks ago it was announced that the actors and 20th Century Fox, who produced the series initial run and will produce the new episodes for Comedy Central, had come to an impasse in contract negotiations. It was revealed that the studio wanted to reduce the salaries of the actors along with other costs to make the series 'cost-effective' for a cable television run.
Last weekend, at the San Diego Comic Con, there was a special panel about the rebirth of the show, and none of the cast were in attendence, leading fans to believe that they wouldn't return to the series.
Via numerous internet sites, several cast members expressed their frustration with the contract negotiations, but vowed to return to the series stating that somehow everything would get worked out. And it did.
In conjunction with the signings, Fox has canceled their casting calls for replacement actors.
It has been learned that the actors were asking for less than their original salaries, which is reportedly $75,000 per episode, to return to the series. What ever that figure was, it is apparent that they had to settle for even less money to make the deal work.
This is the best possible news! I was really bummed when I learned that Billy West, Katey Sagal and company, were not expected to return.
Now I can be happy about the return of "Futurama" again!
Honestly, I think it was MIN's new banner that turned the tide! I'll go ahead and leave it up until Billy West and John DiMaggio sign......just in case.
Great Zombie Jesus!
See Also: Bad News Everyone! Futurama Voice Actors Unlikely To Return For New Series / Good News Everyone! Fox And Comedy Central Order 26 New Episodes Of Futurama / Wizard World Texas Scores The Premiere Of Futurama Bender’s Game / Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs Trailer / Futurama Series 2 Action Figure Set / Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs
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