Despite pulling in a respectable amount at the box office coupled with favorable reviews, there’s been nary a sight nor sound about a potential sequel to The Simpsons Movie since its release all the way back in 2007. Despite muted talks at Fox, a follow-up to the big-screen project has been spinning its wheels for some time, and in a recent interview with Variety, Executive Producer Al Jean confessed that it may remain that way indefinitely.
This essentially boils down to the fact that rendering the titular family for a full-length feature represents “a time-intensive operation,” one that pulls a lot of creative resources away from the development of The Simpsons‘ core show. Here’s what Jean had to say on the matter at hand.
“The movie was such a time-intensive operation; it pulled a lot away from the show,” Jean said. “I would rather end the show whenever that happens before doing another movie. It’s unlikely there’ll be another Simpsons feature while the show is being produced.”
Jean’s frank assessment aligns closely with that of fellow producer James L. Brooks, who described the laborious process of creating The Simpsons Movie eight years ago as “murderous.” As such, despite interest from Fox, it seems all but certain that the beloved sitcom will bow out in the medium it belongs: television.
Having recently wrapped up its 26th season at the end of last month – a staggering feat in and of itself – the eponymous family will return for a 27th stint of satirical goodness when The Simpsons returns on September 27, 2015.