Simpsons Headed Toward Lockout, Cancellation Looming.
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Like the NFL and NBA before it, The Simpsons is facing the very real threat of a lockout.
20th Century Fox has issued an ultimatum to the voice cast of The Simpsons to the tune of a 45% salary cut, Deadline.com reported yesterday. While still looked upon as profitable, studio executives are refusing to accept the actors’ proposal to accept a 30% cut in pay, which would see actors receiving about $4 million per season, and agree to make up some of the difference through back-end incentives. This request was summarily declined.
And now negotiations have hit a brick wall, putting a 23rd season in jeopardy.
In a released statement, 20th Century Fox admitted its inability “to produce future seasons under this financial model.”
Inability or unwillingness? Seeing as, while far off, a Simpsons cable channel is still discussed as a possibility, 20th can’t be that strapped.
While this author is calling ‘shenanigans,’ he is begrudgingly prepared for a future without The Simpsons.
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