Everyone remembers the spider-pig. In 2007, The Simpsons Movie was a genuine cultural event, raking in over $500 million and proving that the residents of Springfield could actually survive a jump to the big screen without losing their edge. Naturally, fans assumed a sequel was inevitable. It’s been nearly two decades. We’re still waiting. Honestly, the story of The Simpsons Movie 2 is less about a script sitting in a vault and more about a production team that is perpetually exhausted by their own success.
The reality is that making the first film almost broke the show. If you talk to anyone involved in the 2007 production, they describe it as a grueling, multi-year marathon that happened while they were still producing weekly episodes of the TV series. It wasn't just a side project; it was a second full-time job for a crew that was already working 60-hour weeks.
Why a Simpsons Movie 2 hasn't happened yet
Basically, the "Simpson's DNA" is built for 22-minute bursts. Stretching that to 90 minutes requires a specific kind of narrative weight that the show doesn't always need to carry. Matt Groening and Al Jean have been asked about the sequel for years, and their answers usually boil down to one thing: they don't want to do it unless the story is better than the first one.
There's no shortage of ideas. In fact, some ideas meant for The Simpsons Movie 2 have already been "burned" on the show. Remember the Season 26 premiere, "Clown in the Dumps"? Or the episode "The Man Who Came to Be Dinner"? The latter, which involves the family being taken to the planet Rigel 7 by Kang and Kodos, was seriously considered as a film plot. The producers ultimately decided it felt "too fringe" for a general cinema audience. They worried that casual fans who don't watch every week wouldn't buy into a full-length sci-fi epic.
The Disney factor and the 2019 merger
Everything changed when Disney bought Fox. Suddenly, the Simpsons weren't just a Fox property; they were a crown jewel for Disney+. This changed the math on The Simpsons Movie 2 entirely. Disney loves franchises. They love sequels. They love streaming content.
Since the merger, we’ve seen a shift toward "short-form" cinema. Instead of a full-blown theatrical sequel, we got a string of Disney+ shorts featuring Maggie and various crossovers with Star Wars, Marvel, and Billie Eilish. These shorts are essentially the "mini-sequels" Disney can produce quickly to keep the brand alive on the landing page of their streaming service. But fans want the big one. They want the dome. They want the high-stakes drama of Springfield on the brink of destruction again.
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The creative hurdles of a second film
Writing a movie is hard. Writing a Simpsons movie is a nightmare.
Consider the "Writer's Room" for the first film. It included legends like David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder, and Jon Vitti. These are the titans of comedy. Getting that many geniuses in one room to agree on a single joke is like trying to herd cats who all have PhDs in sarcasm.
To make The Simpsons Movie 2 work, they’d need that same level of talent. But many of those writers have moved on to other projects or retired. The current showrunners are protective. They know that a bad sequel could tarnish the legacy of the first film, which is generally beloved.
- The first movie was hand-drawn (with digital assistance).
- It required 158 different drafts of the script.
- Tom Hanks made a cameo.
- The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer was a massive undertaking.
Doing all that again is a mountainous task. Al Jean has joked that the first movie took four years and "killed" them. If they started tomorrow, we probably wouldn't see a finished product until at least 2028 or 2029.
What the plot could actually be about
If they ever pull the trigger, what's left to explore? We've seen the town under a dome. We've seen Homer almost lose Marge (again). We've seen the family flee to Alaska.
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Some rumors suggest a "prequel" or a story that focuses on a specific side character, but let’s be real: people pay for the family. A The Simpsons Movie 2 without Homer at the center is a hard sell for the box office. A more likely path is a meta-commentary on the state of modern media—perhaps something involving the "Disneyfication" of Springfield itself. It would be a classic Simpsons move to bite the hand that feeds them while that hand is busy counting the ticket sales.
The financial reality of Springfield
Money talks. The first movie made $527 million on a $75 million budget. That is a massive ROI. In the world of Hollywood, those numbers usually scream "sequel" within three years. The fact that it’s been 17+ years tells you how much the creators have resisted the corporate pressure to just "crank one out."
However, the industry is different now. Theaters are struggling. Unless your name is Avatar or Inside Out 2, getting people into seats is tough. Disney might decide that The Simpsons Movie 2 is more valuable as a "Premier Access" title or a massive streaming exclusive to drive subscriptions during a slow quarter.
Honestly, the "movie" might not even be a movie in the traditional sense. We might see a four-part "event" series that functions as a film. But for the purists, nothing replaces the feeling of seeing that yellow skin on a 40-foot screen.
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Expert perspectives on the delay
Animation historian Jerry Beck once noted that the Simpsons occupies a weird space in animation. It’s not "prestige" like Studio Ghibli, but it’s more "classic" than almost anything else on TV. The pressure to maintain that status is paralyzing.
Also, the voice cast is aging. Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Nancy Cartwright are icons, but they’ve been doing these voices for nearly 40 years. Kavner’s Marge, in particular, has become noticeably raspier in recent seasons. There is a ticking clock on how much longer the original cast can carry a high-energy, 90-minute feature film. If The Simpsons Movie 2 is going to happen, it really needs to happen soon.
What you can do while waiting for news
Don't just sit around waiting for a trailer that might not drop for years. There are ways to get your fix and stay informed without falling for the "fake" trailers that pop up on YouTube every week.
Check the Disney+ Shorts
Seriously. "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" and "The Good, The Bart, and The Loki" are the closest things we have to a sequel right now. They use the same high-quality animation style as the 2007 film.
Follow the Showrunners
Al Jean is incredibly active on X (formerly Twitter). He’s the one who usually shuts down rumors or gives the "never say never" updates. If there’s real news, it’ll come from him or Matt Groening first.
Revisit the Commentary Tracks
If you haven't listened to the commentary on the first Simpsons Movie DVD/Blu-ray, do it. It explains exactly why the process was so painful and gives you a lot of empathy for why they aren't rushing into a second one.
Support the Current Seasons
The "Simpsons is good again" narrative has been bubbling up for the last couple of years (check out Season 33’s "A Serious Flanders"). If the show’s ratings and streaming numbers stay high, Disney is much more likely to greenlight a massive theatrical budget for The Simpsons Movie 2.
The path to a sequel is paved with creative exhaustion and corporate transitions. It’s not a "no," it’s just a very long "not yet."