According to Fox, The Simpsons cannot proceed without cuts.
Currently airing its 23rd season, The Simpsons holds the title of the longest-running comedy series on US television.
The US TV network Fox announced that it can no longer sustain the production of the long-running animated series The Simpsons without reducing compensation for its voice cast.
In their statement, they mentioned that while “the series can and should continue,” it cannot produce new seasons “under its current financial model.”
Fox’s statement followed reports suggesting they would terminate the series unless the voice actors agreed to a 45% salary reduction.
Reportedly, the cast members earn about $8 million each per season.
The principal voice actors, such as Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith, are struggling to finalize contracts for the upcoming season.
It was noted that the cast had previously attempted to negotiate a 30% pay cut in exchange for a share of the profits from syndication and merchandising, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Fox expressed optimism in their statement: “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.”
As the longest-running comedy series on US television, The Simpsons is currently in its 23rd season and is available in over 100 countries and broadcast in 50 different languages.
Historically, the show has experienced numerous pay disputes between its cast and Fox.
In 1998, the network threatened to replace the cast following their request to increase their salaries from $30,000 to $125,000 per episode.
Production faced a month-long halt in 2004 due to another disagreement in which voice actors sought approximately $360,000 per episode.
Three years ago, the series encountered delays once more for several months over stalled contract negotiations regarding a new four-year deal, which ultimately resulted in cast members’ salaries increasing to $400,000 per episode.
