To
commemorate the impending release of the new Futurama mobile phone game, Worlds
of Tomorrow, the cast of the show hosted a livestream table reading of the
sixth-season episode, “Proposition Infinity.” Thousands of fans tuned in via
the official Futurama Facebook page (facebook.com/futurama)
to watch their favorite voice actors bring the episode to life and celebrate
the animated program’s lasting appeal.
The mobile
game, which will be released by Jam City / TinyCo on June 29th, has
been developed by the show’s original creators, and boasts guest performances
by the likes of Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye the Science Guy and George Takei alongside the regular cast
in a character-filled romp through the optimistic future of the Matt Groening
series. Executive Producer David X.
Cohen promised during the livestream Q & A that those who enjoy the
side puzzles found in many Futurama
episodes, such as alien language codes and numerous math jokes, will find some
delightful surprises in addition to the regular gameplay, as well. Worlds of Tomorrow promises to be a lot
of fun – especially with such chances for “extra credit”, as Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick, who also lends his voiceover talents to the game,
joked during the stream.
The table
reading itself featured most of the regular cast of Futurama – John DiMaggio
(Bender / URL), Lauren Tom (Amy and
Inez Wong), Maurice LaMarche (Kif /
Morbo / Hedonismbot / Hyperchicken), Phil
LaMarr (Hermes / Preacherbot), Tress
MacNeille (Linda / Leela), David
Herman (Roberto / Scruffy), and Billy
West (Fry / Professor Farnsworth / Dr. Zoidberg / Smitty / Leo Wong) all
joined Cohen to perform a complete table reading of “Proposition Infinity,” in
which Bender and Amy begin a forbidden “robosexual” relationship and must fight
the powers that be for the right to marry. Katey
Sagal, who voices Leela in the series, was unable to be present at the
reading – but she is featured in the game, as is Frank Welker, who voices Nibbler.
Following
the episode’s reading, the cast answered questions from the live audience,
revealing their favorite minor Futurama
characters (Roberto is a definite cast favorite) and discussing the
intellectual and educational backgrounds of the show’s producers, writers and other
major contributors. Groening himself made a brief appearance, and Jam City CEO Chris DeWolfe came onstage to thank all
those responsible for the new game’s development. It was a fantastic night for Futurama fans, with tons of laughs and
inside information about Worlds of
Tomorrow.
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| John DiMaggio and Lauren Tom |
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| Chris Dewolfe |
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| David X. Cohen |
Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow will include additional content
created by the original series’ writing team in the form of new mini-episodes
throughout the game. During the livestream, Hardwick noted that Futurama is “the show that cannot be
killed”, as its fans so love it that they’ve followed it from network to
network and beyond cancellation to syndication, streaming platforms and sites.
This game is for everyone, but especially for them, and everyone involved
promises some great surprises in store.
The game
has an official website currently at youwillplayfuturama.com,
and will be available for download from iTunes and Google Play app stores on
June 29th.
All Glory to the Hypnotoad!
-Dana Culling