Bad news, everyone

[TinkTanker]

'Futurama' getting new voices for Fry, Leela, Bender, and others

Just when I was getting really excited for the revived Futurama, total bummer news emerges: The voice actors are going to be different. Who's going to Zoid my Zoidberg?

Twentieth Century Fox, which is still producing the series even though new episodes will air on Comedy Central, is recasting the major voice roles for the show. That means no more Billy West (Fry, Professor, and Ziodberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, among others), or Tress MacNeil (Mom, and several others). Worst!

Fox released a statement saying "We love the Futurama voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands. 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 it still Futurama with totally different voices, PopWatchers, or can this news bite your shiny metal -- well, you know.

Hopefully this is just a publicity stunt for ComicCon.

[Pearl@32]

Looks real. Don't have Facebook acct so I can't check for validity of DiMaggio, LaMarr and LaMarche's comments. Won't watch it and won't buy it.

http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2009/07/is-fox-planning-to-recast-futurama.html
Friday, July 17, 2009
Is FOX Planning to Recast FUTURAMA?
As excited as I was about the return of Futurama, FOX has once again ruined that experience by their callous actions. According to no less than cast members John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, and Maurice LaMarche on their Facebook pages, a casting notice has gone out to replace actors DiMaggio, LaMarche, Billy West and Katy Sagal.

Sagal, West, DiMaggio and LaMarche on a San Diego Comicon panel

Personally, I'm betting that FOX doesn't want to pay for these talented folk and would much rather cast "sound-alikes" at a much lower rate. A similar incident happened on Matt Groening's other series, The Simpsons, which resulted in a hefty raise for the voice actors.

Nevertheless, any attempt to recast these talented folks should be the first indicator that the new season is poorly executed and just a cheap attempt to push out product.

Read the full call sheet after the jump and if you want, send Casting Director an email telling him how much you enjoy the recasting idea by clicking HERE.



Thursday, Jul. 16, 2009, 5:54 PM Pacific

FUTURAMA
Voice Over
Episodic
1/2 hour animated comedy for Twentieth Century Fox Television
SAG


Creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen
Casting Director: Scott Muller
Shoot/Start Date: August
Pay Rate: TBD
Location: Los Angeles

SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY
OR
FOR SUBMISSION OF AUDIO ONLY (MP3S ON CD PLEASE) KING OF THE HILL
ATTN: SCOTT MULLER
15821 VENTURA BLVD.
ENCINO, CA
91436

VOICE AUDITIONS MAY BE SENT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

1. MP3 AUDIO AUDITIONS ONLINE IN WHATEVER MEANS IS CONVENIENT FOR YOU.

2. MP3 AUDIO AUDITIONS ON CD.

3.EMAILED AS ATTACHMENTS TO: FUTURAMA@SCOTTMULLERCASTING.COM (NOTE: PLEASE USE THIS METHOD SPARINGLY, ATTACHMENTS NOT TO EXCEED 5 MB) AUDITIONS SHOULD BE SENT ASAP AS WE WILL BE MOVING QUICKLY. PRODUCER SESSIONS WILL BE HELD AT A DATE TBD.

We are starting casting immediately for Futurama, a half-hour animated comedy created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. Descriptions of these established characters follow, along with links to clips of previous episodes for reference.


SERIES REGULAR ROLES:

[ PHILIP J. FRY (FRY) ]
Fry, a 20th century slacker, works as a pizza delivery boy. On December 21st, 1999, he is cryogenically frozen and wakes up 1000 years in the future in the city of New New York. Through a series of events, Fry tracks down his great (x30) nephew Professor Hubert Farnsworth and lands a job at the Professors Planet Express delivery company as a delivery boy. Fry bunks with Planet Expresss beer-swilling robot, Bender. Fry is constantly trying to win the heart of Leela, the companys ship captain...SERIES REGULAR

Flashback Freeze | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 5ACV03)

[ TURANGA LEELA (LEELA) ]
Leela, a sexy Cyclops, is the captain of the Planet Express delivery ship. Leela is in charge of every company mission, having her hands full keeping Fry and Bender in line. Her early years were spent in an orphanage where she was a bit of an outcast for having one eye. She took up kickboxing and other similar sports to make up for the lack of friends. She still has problems with men and often gets jealous of Amys (her co-worker) popularity among the opposite sex. She has a soft spot for Fry but is unsure of anything further than that, due to Frys clumsy advances...SERIES REGULAR

Leela's Timeline | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 4ACV02)

[ BENDER BENDING RODRIQUEZ (BENDER) ]
Bender, a cigar-smoking, booze-guzzling, kleptomaniac robot, had a successful career in bending girders but tired to kill himself when he found out the girders were being used for suicide booths. He was saved by Fry and later took a job at Planet Express. To be able to function properly, Bender needs the chemical energy from alcohol. Excessive drinking is mandatory or he will become sober and unable to control his body. Magnets stuck to his head make him sing like a folk singer...SERIES REGULAR

Bender the Drone | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 5ACV05)

[ PROFESSOR HUBERT FARNSWORTH (PROFESSOR) ]
Professor Hubert Farnsworth is the owner of the Planet Express delivery company, which he uses to fund his strange scientific experiments. He also lectures at Mars University on the mathematics of quantum neutrino fields (he made up the name so no one would dare take the course). He is technically 160 years old, but to avoid being picked up by the sunset squad and taken to the near death star he says he is only 150...SERIES REGULAR

Back in Action | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 5ACV01)

[ DR. JOHN ZOIDBERG (ZOIDBERG) ]
Dr. Zoidberg, a lobster-like alien, left his home planet of Decapod 10 to become a rich doctor but instead became the Planet Express staff doctor (doesnt pay so well). Zoidberg, who is usually shunned by the rest of the Planet Express crew, is always in search of his next meal. His skill as a surgeon, and basic knowledge of human anatomy, are often called into question. He secretly desires to become a stand-up comedian...SERIES REGULAR

Love Lessons | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 2ACV05)

FUTURAMA RECURRING ROLES:

[ MOM ]
Mom is the very old, very rich, very ruthless founder of Moms Friendly Robot Company. She has three sons: Walt, Larry, and Igner, who work for the company and help Mom do her dirty work. Many years ago, Farnsworth worked for Moms Friendly Robot Company, and they had a fling, which ended when Mom kept turning Farnsworths cute inventions into mad, killing machines...RECURRING

Mother's Day | Futurama | Comedy Central (Episode 2ACV14)

[ ZAPP BRANNIGAN ]
Zapp Brannigan is a 25-star General of the Democratic Order of Planets and has been responsible for several successful wars including a triumph over the pacifists of the Ghandi Nebula. He is always accompanies on mission by his hapless assistant Kif Kroker. Behind all his bravado he is a wimp who is not very intelligent. He once slept with Leela, a fact hat he constantly reminds her of...RECURRING

Hulu - Futurama: Zapp in the Shower (Episode 2ACV17)

[ KIF KROKER (KIF) ]
Kif Kroker is a hard working, long suffering alien Lieutenant of the DOOP who does all the hard work and takes the rap for problems usually caused by Zapp Brannigan (his superior officer). Zapp considers Kif to be his most loyal friend however, Kif in fact views Zapp as an imbecile. He is smitten with his current girlfriend Amy. He has no bones and is supported by a system of inflated bladders...RECURRING

Hulu - Futurama: Kif Is Pregnant (Episode 4ACV01)

[Pearl@32]

However, I do remember reading the panel descript for Comic Con:

"Join executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, and Maurice LaMarche for high-stakes thrills as a top-ranking FOX executive decides live, on stage, whether Futurama will make yet another triumphant return or whether it is gone forever! The very fate of Futurama hangs in the balance!"

[Spooky]

They should hire VA's that can't even speak English. that'd be funny!

[Eric]

It's probably either a stunt by Comedy Central (ZOMG, better write in!) or the main cast (ZOMG, wants more monies!), but I wrote the poor casting company anyway:

***

To Whom it May Concern:

I saw the notice on recasting Futurama voices on http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2009/07/is-fox-planning-to-recast-futurama.html

As a viewer, I must admit I have absolutely no interest in hearing "soundalikes" no matter how close they come to the originals. Cubic Zirconia may look sparkly, but it's still not a diamond.

Please keep this in mind as you cast the characters.


***

I even included my name and addy. 

[Pearl@32]

Seeing any Futurama episode in another language is tantamount to what Spooky said. It's just not the same. I don't know how people watch American movies with dubs.

[Pearl@32]

Madison Cube Garden Zirconia!

[Eric]

Madison Cube Garden Zirconia!

[Saxon]

I'm pretty sure that's one of the panels we plan on seeing...we'll let ya know.

The girls STILL haven't had a chance to really go over the sched! I told them I will not have them staying up all night trying to figure things out the day before they leave. I will do MY thing if they haven't figured out theirs! *grumble cakes*

[Pearl@32]

Sounded like the panel sucked. Guess the cast was telling the truth.

'Futurama' panel lends support to voice cast
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/07/futurama-panel-lends-support-to-voice-cast-.html
By Steven Zeitchik

A few of the voice actors joined Matt Groening signing autographs in the exhibit hall, suggesting producer-voice talent relations are still congenial despite the stand-off over salary. As previously noted, bet on this dispute getting resolved...

"Futurama," the property that features a gallery of bizarre creatures, was forced to address the elephant in the ballroom when writers convened at a Comic-Con panel Saturday.

Exec producer Matt Groening came right out at the event for the Comedy Central movie series and addressed the labor standoff between studio 20th Century Fox Television and "Futurama" voice actors.

"We love our 'Futurama' actors. And we hope that Fox and the actors can come to an agreement as soon as possible," he said.

The actors -- a group that includes Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio -- are in a dispute with the studio over contract and wage terms, a battle that threatens the future of the series.

Because of the dispute, the panel featured none of the actors, prompting exec producer David X. Cohen to slyly note the panel only contained writers "for some reason." He later added an optimistic, if tentative, "What is going on right now is business. Hope for the best."

Before they took questions, the panelists also tried an odd format -- they read segments from past shows off script pages that were projected on screens in the hall. While they made no comment on the reasons for the unusual format, their flat, almost robotic tone could be interpreted as a subtle bid of support for the voice actors.

The panel also saw Groening comment on what's been a perennial topic for the enduring TV property -- a potential movie.

Groening sounded a supportive note for the idea, noting, "We'd love to do a 'Futurama' theatrical feature. It's really fun to see 'Futurama' on the big screen."

The larger question, though, is whether there continues to be fun on the small screen.