Bad News Everyone! Futurama Voice Actors Unlikely To Return For New Series

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Variety

Okay, there is good news, and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? The good news? Okay, they are still making 26 new episodes of "Futurama". Now the bad news, the budget for the show has been cut, and the original voice actors, Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille, have refused to sign on, due to their salaries being drastically lowered.

According to 20th Century Fox, who produces the show, contract talks have broken down between the studio and the original cast. How serious is this? Well, Fox has already begun putting out casting calls for replacement actors.

"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."

Is all hope lost?

Well, not necessarily, Fox made a similar move back in the 1990s when the voice actors for "The Simpsons" asked for more money.

This time, however, the situation is quite different. This time the actors weren't asking for more pay, just the same amount of pay they had received in the past, which is believed to be $75,000 per episode.

Fox, meanwhile, is trying to trim the show down for the cable market, namely Comedy Central, who is to air the program.

Other budget cuts for the new "Futurama" series include a reduction in writing staff and a quicker delivery time for episodes, which means smaller production values.

Great Zombie Jesus!

See Also: 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

Motion Picture Hospital and Nursing Home To Close

Source: Los Angeles Times

Movie Industry Hospital and Nursing Home To Close

The Motion Picture & Television Fund says financial problems will force it to shut facilities for aging entertainers in Woodland Hills by year's end.

By Lisa Girion and Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
12:31 PM PST, January 14, 2009

The Motion Picture & Television Fund said today that financial problems would force the industry charity to close a hospital and nursing home it operates in Woodland Hills for aging entertainers by year's end.

The fund said it would expand its existing network of community-based care and would relocate about 100 patients to area nursing homes. The fund said 290 workers would lose jobs in the closures.

The decision "reflects some sobering economic realities that are affecting healthcare institutions nationwide," David Tillman, fund chief executive, said in a statement. "With costs skyrocketing and government reimbursement declining, operating our own acute-care and long-term-care facility is draining our resources at an alarming rate."

DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation Board, said the organization had no choice.

"Although we are in good shape today," he said, "the acute-care hospital and long-term-care facility are generating operating deficits that could bankrupt MPTF in a very few years."

The organization said the nursing home transfers would begin in 60 days. The hospital will operate until later this year, the fund said.

The closures will not affect about 185 residents of fund independent-living and assisted-living facilities and six area health centers that serve about 60,000 industry workers.

The fund said that the hospital and nursing home had been running an operating deficit of $10 million a year and projected that to rise in coming years.

Today's announcement comes as hospitals across the state and nation are struggling with economic and financial problems. Dozens of hospitals in California have shut down in the last decade, and hospital industry experts say more are likely.

While the Hollywood elites are busy climbing all over themselves trying to get choice tickets to The Messiah's Inauguration events next week, an important asset to the community is falling by the wayside. Instead of worrying about being at The Messiah's shindig, going to Europe or the Bahamas, the Hollywood elites should chip in and keep the hospital going. They may need it themselves someday.