In 2007, The Simpsons Movie - a theatrical version of one of the most popular animated shows ever - opened to solid reviews and even better box office. The film went on to haul in over $500 million worldwide, making it an official success, not that anyone ever expected any less from one of the longest running sitcoms of all time. Still, The Simpsons Movie arrived late. Though production on the film didn't begin until 2006, 17 years after the first episode debuted, there was talk of a movie version of the show being made as early as 1991, while the principal voice cast had already signed on back in 2001. In those years between the feature project's inception and it actually coming to fruition, numerous plotlines were suggested then abandoned, while scripts were written and re-written. Major personnel came and went, with both cast and creative staff (including Conan O'Brien and Brad Bird, both of whom were approached to contribute to 2007's Simpsons Movie) leaving the show's production team in the interim. Throughout this time, The Simpsons Movie was at various points set out to become a very different movie to the one audiences finally got to see in 2007. Here are eight different versions of The Simpsons Movie that could've been (and which almost were).
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
