Fox says "take a 45% paycut or the simpsons cannot continue"

CoolHat · 06-10-2011 03:19AM #1

Link

Is Homer about to utter his final ‘D’oh!’?
The producers of The Simpsons and the voice actors are currently at an impasse in negotiations for a new deal that would allow for new episodes of the animated Fox comedy beyond the current season. 20th Century Fox Television, the studio that produces the series — which, in its 23rd season, is the longest running prime-time comedy in TV history — has asked the voice actors to take a 45-percent pay cut to renew their contracts for additional seasons, according to the Daily Beast. Fox isn’t commenting, but 20th Century Fox TV released the following statement today:
“23 seasons in, The Simpsons is as creatively vibrant as ever and beloved by millions around the world. We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows The Simpsons to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come.”
Contract negotiations between the show and the voice actors have turned tense on several occasions; in the late ’90s, the studio warned that it would replace the actors before a new deal was ultimately reached.

I call bulls*it on this one.
The Simpsons was and still is a cash cow.
Its shown all around the world, It has merchandised pretty much everything you can think of. I think this is FOX getting greedy and wanting a bigger piece of the pie.

smk89 · 06-10-2011 03:24AM

mmmmm... pie

MrStuffins · 06-10-2011 03:25AM

I wish they'd have given them this ultimatum around the time of the Armand Tamzarian episode........ would've done us all a favour!

AlmightyCushion · 06-10-2011 03:26AM

I don't know, it went to shít a long time ago and everyone I knew growing up who would watch new episodes of the simpsons religiously don't any more. I wouldn't be surprised if it's viewing figures had dropped off massively.

hondasam · 06-10-2011 03:26AM

It's about time it finished.

im invisible · 06-10-2011 03:27AM

i fail to see the problem...

MrStuffins · 06-10-2011 03:29AM

hondasam wrote: »

It's about time it finished.

Exactly! It should've finished ages ago. It's just not funny any more!

But having said that, in it's day The Simpsons is without doubt the best TV show of all time!

LH Pathe · 06-10-2011 03:38AM

As a 11yr old who was there for the 1st episode (a friend insisted) and was already wanting to see the back of it.. imagine how I have suffered all this time...

bn wishing the litlle yellow bastards died of that jaundice long time.

Dean820 · 06-10-2011 03:42AM

The new episodes are crap anyway.

stoneill · 06-10-2011 03:46AM

It's time for the Simpsons to end.

Super-Rush · 06-10-2011 03:47AM

The new episodes are rubbish.

Even the movie wasn't that great.

Everything has to finish sometime.

smash · 06-10-2011 03:48AM

It's years since I've seen a good episode, and the movie was crap too. If it ended I wouldn't be bothered.

CoolHat · 06-10-2011 03:49AM

I am surprised the Simpsons hasn't ended its TV show to just make movies every 3-4 years.

The first came out in 2007 and was clearly a success. The only logical reason I can see why The Simpsons is still going is because its been making money.

Amzie · 06-10-2011 03:55AM

well I still like it:p Its easy watching when theres nothing else on the box!!!

Hal Emmerich · 06-10-2011 03:58AM

Reuters

The "Simpsons" voice actors have commissioned a study estimating the show has made $1 billion in profits over its 23-season run as ammunition in their salary negotiations with 20th Century Fox TV.

The study projected that the studio will eventually make about $2.8 billion from the show.

The six actors have been asked to decide by noon Friday whether they will accept cuts to their salaries, which range on a per-episode basis from $440,000 to $250,000, according to people familiar with the talks.

The actors offered last week to accept cuts to $300,000 per episode, in exchange for back-end payments they don't currently receive, but the studio rejected the offer.

Earlier this week, Fox issued a statement saying it "cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model," and that it hoped for "an agreement with the voice cast that allows 'The Simpsons' to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come."

If no deal is reached, the current, 23rd season will be the show's last. But both sides seem hopeful for a deal. People familiar with the talks characterized them as bloodless, so far.

"It's not emotional on either side," one person told TheWrap. "After 23 years both sides sides understand each other and want to reach a deal."
The report commissioned by the actors estimated that the show has earned $3.95 billion in revenue in its first cycle -- including from network advertising, syndication payments, international, merchandising, and home video -- and has cost about $3.07 billion to produce.

The study estimated that the show would earn another $2 billion in its second and third cycles once it stops producing new episodes. A person familiar with the talks provided details of the study to TheWrap.

Under their current four-year contract, which ends this season, the actors earn around $9 million for a minimum of 20 episodes. They are being asked to cut their salaries to $5 million.

The actors being asked to take cuts are Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and others), Julie Kavner (Marge and others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu), and Harry Shearer (the voice of Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, and Ned Flanders, among others).

kraggy · 06-10-2011 04:01AM

Why do they pay the voice actors so much? Couldn't they just get impersonators to do it or are the voices copyrighted?

Can you even copyright a voice?

CoolHat · 06-10-2011 04:10AM

kraggy wrote: »

Why do they pay the voice actors so much? Couldn't they just get impersonators to do it ..

Dont think they could do that. Fans would hear about it and it'll likely put more people off from watching the show.

Besides Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer voice about 20+ characters each.

Overheal · 06-10-2011 04:13AM

kraggy wrote: »

Why do they pay the voice actors so much? Couldn't they just get impersonators to do it or are the voices copyrighted?

The voices can't be copyrighted I don't think. Famous example was when South Park killed off Chef after the voice actor quit.

The problem is: who is going to replace the voice of Homer, Bart, Lisa or Marge? They're pretty iconic. Changing them now would end any future for the show.

Maggie now: she's totally screwed.

Temptamperu · 06-10-2011 04:13AM

only five million a year? how is anyone supposed to live on that :rolleyes:

Overheal · 06-10-2011 04:22AM

Temptamperu wrote: »

only five million a year? how is anyone supposed to live on that :rolleyes:

It's more of a situation where others are profiting off your work. A bit like how Games Developers only receive a small fraction of the billions a title can generate in sales. The publishers and the retails get by far the largest share.

Look at what happened to Harrison Ford and Carrie Fischer: neither had contracts for backend payments on the Star Wars franchise. This latest Blu Ray release of Star Wars? Neither of them saw so much as a penny. In spite of this the release has generated well over $84m in revenue as of September.

In an interesting tie-in: FOX gave George Lucas all the merchandizing rights. They haven't seen a penny of that, either. That's tens of billions of dollars in the last 30 years.

CoolHat · 06-10-2011 04:22AM

Temptamperu wrote: »

only five million a year? how is anyone supposed to live on that :rolleyes:

Know your worth man

They sure do. You cant have The Simpsons without the voice actors. Say they sack even one, Hank Azaria for example - no more Moe, Wiggium, Apu, Comic Book Guy, Chalmers etc)

I know we're talking mental money here. $5 million per season. But if you are worth more, then then get your worth. Its not like FOX is "barely making ends meat" from the show.

Hal Emmerich · 06-10-2011 04:23AM

They should age the Characters, put Lisa in College and Bart......somewhere.

Change it up abit.

Sticky_Fingers · 06-10-2011 04:24AM

The Simpsons is like a long time lover, at the start it was refreshing, new, exciting and provocative. However over the years it's become stale, repetitive and boring, compounded by the fact that it is trying too hard to spice up the relationship by being "zany" and cool.

The truth is that I don't want the Simpsons to end, not because the last few years haven't been extremely awkward and comically unsatisfying like watching your other half stagger around your wedding anniversary smashed out of their skull but because there is always the nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the spark and magic may be rekindled and it could possibly be as good as it once was.

Intellectually I know the above is impossible but like millions of loveless relationships I yearn to be wrong and at least it ain't gonna cost me a penny in the divorce if it never comes to pass so feck it, I already have better, happier times saved on my harddrive so let Fox try and try...

CoolHat · 06-10-2011 04:25AM

Overheal wrote: »

It's more of a situation where others are profiting off your work. A bit like how Games Developers only receive a small fraction of the billions a title can generate in sales. The publishers and the retails get by far the largest share.

Look at what happened to Harrison Ford and Carrie Fischer: neither had contracts for backend payments on the Star Wars franchise. This latest Blu Ray release of Star Wars? Neither of them saw so much as a penny. In spite of this the release has generated well over $84m in revenue as of September.

In an interesting tie-in: FOX gave George Lucas all the merchandizing rights. They haven't seen a penny of that, either.

Well put overheal.
Ol' leonardo dicaprio is no fool it has to be said too. He wrote a backend share into his agreement to work on Inception. Its all knowing your worth.

brendansmith · 06-10-2011 04:29AM

Its like the creators are keeping this almost lifeless former legend alive so they can wipe their ar$es with its face.

take everything · 06-10-2011 04:43AM

Sad to say it but the show has become Behind The Laughter.

Irish Guitarist · 06-10-2011 07:48AM

23 seasons in, The Simpsons is as creatively vibrant as ever and beloved by millions around the world

No it's not. The writers can't even write a coherent story now. It's twenty minutes of random events that have no relation to one another with as many celebrity voices thrown in as possible. It's become a second rate Family Guy, and the original Family Guy is crap.

mikemac · 06-10-2011 07:55AM

Season three to nine was some of the greatest TV ever created

But it's stale, they should ended it a decade ago.
Actually the film a few years ago was the perfect time to end it

What is it with FOX?
They drag this series out too long but cancel excellent shows like Chicago Code after just one season?

Biggins · 06-10-2011 08:28AM

Temptamperu wrote: »

only five million a year? how is anyone supposed to live on that :rolleyes:

Heather Mills - is that you?

tallus · 06-10-2011 08:31AM

As far as I'm concerned, they should have made Hank Scorpio a permanent fixture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VX4Lpf-xdg&feature=related

force eleven · 06-10-2011 08:32AM

Hope it finishes. It went stale years ago. The early years episodes will always be the best.

Fox says "take a 45% paycut or the simpsons cannot continue"

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