Hi-didalee-ho neighbourinos. "The Simpsons Movie" -- the flick that topped Entertainment Weekly's lists of "The 20 Big Events of 2007" -- hits theatres on July 27.
Will it be worth the 18 year wait? That's the question critics and fans are pondering as they blithely imagine the epic catastrophe Homer will unleash upon Springfield, according to the film's producers
With his usual blundering no-good-nick naivet�, Homer -- with the help of his new pet pig and a leaky silo -- pollutes Springfield's river, forcing its townsfolk to flee possibly forever. Marge is outraged with him. Springfield's quirky residents descend upon their bubble-gum pink home. It all spells trouble for the doughnut-loving schlub who proves life's loftiest goals are always attainable if you set them low enough.
"We wanted to tell a longform 'Simpsons' story on the large canvas of a motion picture screen, and hear a theatre full of people laughing at the same time," says Matt Groening, the show's Emmy Award-winning creator.
The TV ode to 2-D animation first appeared in 1988 as brief "bumper" segments on the Fox network variety series, "The Tracey Ullman Show." It later became a 1989 Christmas special and a full-fledged series in 1990.
The show's quirky mix of yellow-stained, bulging-eyed characters with goofy overbites was an immediate ratings smash.
During the first season network executives approached cartoonist Groening (best known for his weekly comic strip "Life is Hell") and co-executive producer James L. Brooks to churn out a Simpsons' movie.
The time, however, didn't seem right to the creative team.
Eighteen years later, with 23 Emmys, a prestigious Peabody, and a designation from Time magazine as "the best television show of the 20th century," the movie idea finally made sense to Simpson producers.
Homer Simpson announced the much-anticipated feature film in 2006 in a specially-prepared teaser trailer that appeared on prints of Ice Age: The Meltdown.
"We waited 18 years to make a film because we didn't want to do it just because we could; we wanted to make a movie because it was right," says Al Jean, the series current showrunner and the writer/producer on The Simpsons Movie.
Writing on the script for the 87-minute feature began in November of 2003. Since then the project has known a level of security that would floor Fort Knox.
The movie also follows the show's long tradition of including celebrity voices among its kooky cast, among them the Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2. Minnie Driver, Albert Brooks, Tre Cool and Erin Brockovich-Ellis all lend their voices to this big screen extravaganza.
"The Simpsons Movie" comes hot off the heels of the show's 400th episode, which aired in May. Its debut is also being aggressively cross-promoted with a trio of must-have collectible books created by Groening.
The first is "The Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips from the Pros" (HarperCollins Publishers; $49.95 Hardcover). In it Groening pays tribute to the time-honored art of 2-D animation and gives fans an insider's edge on recreating Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Moe, Mr. Burns and other key characters.
"The Simpson's Masterpiece Gallery: A Big Book of Posters" (HarperCollins Publishers; $22.95; Paperback Original) is crammed with 50 frameable images die-hard fans can add to their Simpsons shrines.
"Greetings From The Simpsons" (HarperCollins Publishers; $16:50; Paperback Original) is all-new postcard book. In it fans will find hilarious stats on every character as well as memorable quips for every occasion.
While it's too early to tell how well "The Simpsons Movie" will do at the box office, one thing's for certain. Matt Groening will be seeing a lot of "D'oh!"
What are your hopes for the movie? Do you think it will live up to the hype and fulfill on calibre of its heritage?
