Matt Groening has appeared to confirm the existence of a sequel to 2007’s The Simpsons Movie, after revealing at the San Diego Comic Con that Disney will likely greenlight the project due to its box office potential.
“No doubt there will be another Simpsons movie one of these days,” the show’s creator said. “I think Disney wants something for its money.”
Rights to The Simpsons were acquired by Disney earlier this year when it purchased 20th Century Fox and all of its related properties. The long-running comedy series will additionally be one of the most valuable shows able to be streamed on the corporation’s forthcoming streaming service Disney+, which will launch later this year.
During the same Comic Con appearance, Groening also revealed why a sequel was not immediately greenlit years ago, despite the financial success of the first film. Released in the summer of 2007, the film grossed over $500 million worldwide.
“The first Simpsons Movie almost killed us,” he explained. “We didn’t have a B-team waiting to do The Simpsons Movie, so the same people who wrote, animated, voiced and did the music for The Simpsons TV show also did the movie. That was in 2007. We’re almost recovered, almost.”
