Summary
- New A.I. art brings Wes Anderson's unmistakable style and preferred collaborators to a live-action adaptation of The Simpsons.
- Casting choices like Tilda Swinton, Tom Hanks, and Ian McKellen for iconic Simpsons characters are pretty cool.
- Instead of focusing on the main characters, a live-action Simpsons could work by using minor characters as inspiration, like Finn Wolfhard as Milhouse.
The Simpsons, as directed by Wes Anderson, is both star-studded and a little weird in new A.I. images. Given the legendary status of The Simpsons in pop culture, the possibility of a live-action take on the iconic animated series tends to spark interest. Casting decisions for Homer Simpson, as an example, have ranged over the years from Bruce Willis to John C. Reilly. But a new showcase imagines what a live-action take would look lik e if it were helmed by a filmmaker with his own unmistakable style and preferred set of collaborators.
A post shared by a live-action adaptation of The Simpsons.
Some of the characters, like Bart and Lisa, look fairly anonymous. But others, such as frequent Anderson collaborator Tilda Swinton as Edna Krabappel and Tom Hanks as Principal Skinner, are pretty cool. The same is true for Ian McKellen as Mr. Burns. Not all of the actors have worked with Anderson, and Hanks only recently ed for this year's Aestroid City, but it's hard to disagree with some of the choices. Paul Rudd as Ned Flanders stands out as another interesting choice.
A Live-Action Simpsons Might Work (But Not How You Think)
A live-action version of The Simpsons had actually been proposed at one point, albeit not focused on any of the main or major ing characters. Recurring guest Phil Hartman wanted to make a live-action film based on his Troy McClure character. This gained the of several Simpsons staff , who wanted to help bring the project to life. It was even suggested that the episode "A Fish Called Selma", in which Troy tries to revive his struggling actor career, could be used as a basis for the movie. However, the project was canceled following Hartman's death in 1998.
Rather than focusing on casting the main characters, a live-action Simpsons might do better if it used the animated show as general inspiration and a marketing hook but focused on a more minor character. Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is imagined as Bart's blue-haired friend Milhouse, for instance. That could make for a good comedic movie, in theory, and allow a little more space for originality.
But it's good that The Simpsons has resisted the urge to make a franchise out of itself with adaptations and spinoffs, instead serving as the forerunner for other animated Fox shows like Family Guy and Bob's Burgers. It's likely the case that if there were ever a compelling case to expand Springfield, it would have happened by now.
Source: Quills86 / Reddit
