Futurama on Comedy Central HD - Page 2

Originally Posted by skyehill

So you think they're bringing the series back out of the goodness of their own hearts?

Originally Posted by skyehill

Yeahhhhhhhh I think I'll side with the actors who made the show what it was rather than the giant conglomerate that is out to do nothing but make a buck.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

It's an assumption that the followers of Futurama initially watched the show because of the premise. In my experience, many folks check out a show because of the actors involved. I'll watch my favorite actors in roles that I otherwise don't find appealing.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

Part of the reason Futurama has a cult following (the same as any other show with a cult following) is because the fans have emotional ties to the characters.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

It would be foolish for Fox to ignore the intrinsic value of these characters' voices just because of a bottom line.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

If Fox's numbers for this show really are low enough that they cannot afford to pay an amicable price for the original voice talent, they may want to rethink their plans to revive it, as it seems the very people they plan to make money from in this endeavor have been very offended.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

It would not seem to be a prudent financial move to revive a beloved brand only to offend its followers.

Originally Posted by AlanSaysYo

They may as well start from scratch with a new series if they are not interested in being as faithful to the original as its fans would like.

Originally Posted by rkunces

It's sad that Billy West has now gone through this sort of scenario with many of his shows. He had that cartoon series Doug that had been revived by ABC. However, he did not return and the show wasn't the same.
The voice acting is very important for the audience to hear a familiar voice but you can't but help that these actors add more influence in the writing and production of the show because they can use their voice acting skills to create scenes that other actors may not be able to replicate using the same character.

Originally Posted by tighr

I remember a similar situation 15 years ago with Robin Williams and the direct-to-video release of Aladdin 2, where he didn't reprise the role of Genie (the role went to Dan Castellaneta of Homer Simpson fame). From what I remember, Williams had some kind of tiff with Disney and backed out of the production. Even though Castellaneta is a great voice actor, the Genie wasn't the same. I guess things were all hunky-dory later when he came back for Aladdin 3, though.

Originally Posted by HDMe2

Still thinking this is a hoax designed to increase attention and get fans to react....

but, IF there's any reality here... FOX does kinda need some of these voice-actors or the known characters will not be the same... BUT what else are those actors doing? They probably need this work too, especially in this economy. Not like I'm seeing those voice-actors all over TV and movies in other roles.

Originally Posted by Ken H

It's relatively easy to find a voice that can closely imitate what someone else has already done. If the writing is good, the program will probably be as good, or better, than before.

Originally Posted by Berk32

Aladdin (after the original movie) was a cheaply made kids TV show and direct-to-video sequels.

It's probably not a fair comparison.

Originally Posted by Shaded Dogfood

Not to sound too ignorant, but can someone list the main actors?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149460/

Originally Posted by Ken H

No, not at all.


Not to sound too ignorant, but can someone list the main actors?

Originally Posted by Ken H

Thanks. Other than Katey Sagal I'm not sure most viewers would recognise the other voices.

Originally Posted by Ken H

Thanks. Other than Katey Sagal I'm not sure most viewers would recognise the other voices.

Originally Posted by Berk32

Billy West
Katey Segal
John DiMaggio

Tress MacNeille
Maurice LaMarche
and a few others do the "various characters"

Originally Posted by Ken H

Thanks. Other than Katey Sagal I'm not sure most viewers would recognise the other voices.

Originally Posted by skyehill

Close isn't the same. They tried it with Alladin. They did it with Eddie Murphys voice in some Shrek TV specials and it failed. If they want Futurama to succeed, they'll do what it takes to get the voices back.

Originally Posted by DaveFi

But honestly, he wasn't the star of the show

O: But that's the complete antithesis to how animation is now. Celebrities are the characters. They're expected to put themselves in the role. Even before CGI movies, you had Robin Williams in Aladdin.

BW: Robin Williams understands sonic performances. He understands what it's like to change your voice up. He understands what it's like to have theatre of the mind—and with your little strip of vocal cords, you're going to create heavens and hells and universes and populations of people, which is the whole idea that a voice person has in their head. It's like, "Whatever it is, I'll be it." But the voice people can physically escape the sound of their own voice. We do multiple voices. We used to save producers' asses, because they'd hire you and say, "Well, we were going to get six people, but we can't afford it. Can you do this, this, and this?" And you'd do them, and they'd be perfectly happy, and they'd save a bundle of dough. Now, it's the exact opposite. The minute they mention a CGI film, they're already looking to see what Renée Zellweger is doing. They're already looking to see what Billy Crystal is doing. This doesn't make sense, to do what they do—spend zillions on visuals, and then have this totally *ucking flat-lining voice track. You know, "Hey, I'm Will Smith, I'm a clam! I'm Will Smith, I'm a kangaroo!" All you bring to the performance is your own ego. They're just being themselves. Let's put it this way: Cameron Diaz is the highest paid voice actress in history: $20 million for Shrek. Why? Because she has a 9-foot mouth? That works somewhere else, but not on tape! [Laughs.] It's like what the hell is that all about?

O: So are you totally out of the loop on big-budget films?

BW: Well, we still audition for them if they call us, but we know it's a joke. What's really insidious is, they love to have the A-team come in and read for them and create characters for them and read their copy, and then you never hear from them again. Then you see the person who has the job saying things that came direct from your own ideology, like if I'm ad-libbing, and I use a word from the Midwest because I grew up in Detroit. You know, it's like "What the *uck? What am I, a copywriter now? How come I don't get residual checks?" They take your riffs, they take your little noises that you do, and they go tell this schlub celebrity, "This is what we want; this is what we're looking for. Hear what he's doing?" And then that guy's gotta sweat bullets trying to sparkle some life into his bland-o voice... I hope I'm not coming off cocky or bitter about the swing in the business. I'll hang in, but I'm going to change my hat. I have to be a producer now.

O: But they obviously think they'll make way more money because the celebrities will draw people.

BW: It's "Oh well, we can use those stars on their bankable star power to promote the cartoon and do Access Hollywood interviews." You know, it's like they treat us like we're not actors. I went to the première of Space Jam at [Grauman's] Chinese Theatre—big première, red carpet, everything. Me and the voice people got invited to the little theatre; there's two of them there, the big Chinese theatre, and then there was a smaller one next to it. We weren't invited to the big place, and so my friend Bob Bergen, who does Porky Pig an awful lot, called them up and said, "Hey, what gives? We're featured in this movie." She said, "Oh you mean the party at the big Chinese theatre? Oh, that's for the actors." I'd like to find out what little cement-head said that.