The Simpsons is one of the most popular and iconic cartoons on TV, and the misadventures and hijinks of the dysfunctional family continue to entertain to this day, making it one of the longest-running shows in television history. Because of this, a movie seemed like a no-brainer.
But with so many episodes already produced, choosing a storyline and delivering the movie proved to be a long and challenging process that testest the creative team like no episode ever had. The Simpsons Movie was released in 2007 and proved to be a big hit, making the long wait more than worth it. With this in mind, here are 10 behind the scenes facts about The Simpsons Movie.
100 Script Rewrites
The Simpsons Movie's long development meant that the writers wrote and re-wrote the script until they were completely satisfied with the final product. This reportedly saw the creative team rewrite the script more than 100 times, tossing out ideas, introducing new ones, and punching up gags.
Even after the script was completed and the production began recording voices, the editing didn't stop, with numerous roles cut and tweaked as production went along to make the film stronger. The film's immense production and commitment to quality are irable, where so many other productions would have made a movie quicker and of lesser quality. The difficult nature of satisfying the show's large fan base made this necessary and explains why a sequel hasn't yet been made, even 13 years later.
Steven Spielberg Almost Destroyed Springfield
The idea for a movie based upon the television series has been in development for some time, and the creative team behind the scenes came up with a lot of creative and unexpected ideas of what could appear in the final film. One such idea saw legendary director Steven Spielberg come to the small town of Springfield to film his latest movie, only to blow up the entire town as part of the production.
However, that idea was scrapped and the team decided that Spielberg wasn't the right man to destroy the town. Other ideas were explored, including an out of left field concept that would see the titular family realize that their lives are being filmed for a reality television show. This would have been a radically different film and perhaps more suited to a single episode.
Marge Was Going To Go Crazy
Early on in The Simpsons Movie, Grampa Simpson is thrown into a strange trance-like hallucination at church that sees him breakdown and proclaim nonsense, which is of course largely ignored by the family and played for laughs. It only becomes apparent later on that his gibberish is starting to come true and they are in grave danger.
However, an earlier version of the script saw Marge take the place of Grampa and have the breakdown herself. This was changed, as it simply wasn't as funny and the audience was too concerned about Marge to laugh at her. This change makes much more sense and sees Marge become the only one who shows any concern for Grampa, with the rest of the family, and town, dismissing him as simply a crazy old man.
They Shredded The Scripts
Due to the popularity of the show and the immense anticipation for the movie, the production was highly secretive, but the producers went to extraordinary lengths to prevent spoilers and leaks from the production. This resulted in none of the cast being given scripts to take home and learn, and instead, they were required to learn their lines upon arriving for that day's recording.
Additional security measures were taken and once the recording session was over, the scripts were shredded to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Leaks and spoilers detract from the movie-going experience, and Marvel Studios has employed similar extreme measures to ensure the audience doesn't have things ruined for them. Although it may seem extreme, these extra steps are more necessary now than ever.
Edward Norton's Role Was Cut
The Simpsons Movie features the brilliant cast from the television show, along with numerous celebrities lending their voices. Tom Hanks features in a hilarious cameo as himself, but other famous faces weren't so lucky and had their roles cut from the final film.
Esteemed actor Edward Norton was one such person, who was originally intended to voice a man whose indecisiveness leads to him being crushed by the dome as it descended upon the town. Norton reportedly played the part comedically, performing not as himself, but instead opting to do his best Woody Allen impression. This was later cut to due to it being deemed distracting, and Simpsons royalty Dan Castellaneta provided the voice of the character instead.
"Kamp Krusty" Was Originally Going To Be The Movie
Season 4's "Kamp Krusty" almost became the movie, which sees Bart and Lisa attend Krusty Kamp, only for them to find that it is nothing like they expected. Their disappointment leads to them rebelling and taking control of the camp. The episode also saw Homer regrow his hair and lose weight, due to the absence of the kids.
Although originally intended to be the movie, the 1992 episode was instead turned into a singular episode due to the creative team's concerns about making it the appropriate length. The story was retooled and became the season premiere of the show's fourth season. There's no doubt that this was the right decision, as the story is far more suited to being a single episode and it is one of the season's best episodes.
Production Began in 2001
The movie officially began production in 2001, when the voice cast signed contracts to appear in the film, although the project had been greenlit by Fox several years earlier.
The Simpsons Movie would not be released until 2007, meaning that between the start and finish of the production, the series would release six more seasons and more than 100 episodes. The movie's long production featured numerous ideas and concepts that were scrapped and retooled time and again to produce the best possible version of the film.
It's The Second Highest 2D Animated Film Of All Time
The Simpsons Movie was released in July of 2007 and went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, earning more than $530 million worldwide. This sizable total meant that The Simpson Movie earned its place alongside the best-animated films and is the second highest-grossing 2D animated film of all-time.
The movie made more than some of the most beloved Disney classics of all time, including The Lion King remains king.
There Was A Contest To Decide Where To Host The Premiere
The success of the television show meant that there was a lot of hype and anticipation around the long-awaited big-screen debut of the famous family, and Fox's creative marketing only served to get the general public more excited. A competition was held to determine where in the U.S. the premiere would be held. This competition saw 16 different Springfield's compete to gain the prestigious reward.
To be victorious, each town had to make a short film, detailing why they should host the premiere, and the winner was decided by votes from the general public on USA Today's site. Springfield, Vermont, was the winner, gaining more than 15,000 votes and it hosted the prestigious premiere, much to the delight of the town.
Real Life Kwik-E-Marts
In the lead-up to the release of the much-anticipated movie, no expense was spared to generate buzz and get people excited. In addition to other marketing ploys, the marketing team brought the world of Springfield to life by transforming a dozen 7-Eleven stores into Kwik-E-Marts before the release of the movie.
But it was far more than just a fresh coat of paint. These new Kwik-E-Marts sold an array of exclusive products straight out of the television show. These included Radioactiveman Comics, Buzz Cola drinks, and even the Kwik-E-Mart's famous Squishees.
