The Simpsons: A Second Movie And Spin-Off Show May Happen

The Simpsons is one of the longest running and most popular shows in the history of television, and it could get even bigger with a second movie and/or a spin-off.

There was one very popular movie, The Simpsons Movie that was released in 2007, but it never got a sequel. Not only that, but The Simpsons has spawned no spin-off series (though creator Matt Groening went on to make the Netflix animated series Disenchantment). That could change in the future, however, as key talent from the show spoke at D23 Expo this weekend about how a second movie or a TV series spin-off haven't been ruled out.

According to Variety, executive producer Al Jean told an audience that the producers "have talked about" making a second Simpsons movie or a spin-off in their discussions with new owners Disney. The House of Mouse acquired The Simpsons when it purchased the majority of Fox's entertainment assets.

"I think Disney would be supportive of anything we wanted to do, maybe a crazy limited series with a side character or a movie that we surprised you with; they've been really creatively supportive and this is going to afford so many new ways to do the show than just the traditional format," another executive producer, Matt Selman, said.

Disney's buyout of Fox, which was one of the biggest deals in the history of the entertainment industry at $71 billion, also gives the House of Mouse franchises like Family Guy and Deadpool. In the wake of the buyout, Disney announced layoffs that reportedly impact "thousands" of people.

2007's The Simpsons Movie made a gargantuan $527 million against a reported budget of $75 million. One of the reasons why there never was a sequel was because the same team behind the show also made the movie--while still working on the show. It was an enormous challenge that the producers were not pushing too quickly to jump back into.

But now, some 12 years later, Simpsons creator Matt Groening says the team is almost back to a place where they might consider making another movie.

"We're almost recovered. No doubt there will be another Simpsons movie one of these days. Disney wants something for its money," Groening said.

A Simpsons short, Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, was released in 2012; it was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Academy Awards, but it didn't win.

As for a potential Simpsons spin-off TV show, there are no details about what this might look like or what characters it could focus on. Another property that Disney got from the Fox buyout, Family Guy, released a spin-off show called The Cleveland Show. It ran for four seasons from 2009-2013.