Simpsons film in pipeline

Work has started on a Simpsons feature film but fans of the cartoon creations will have to wait years before it hits the big screen, it emerged today.

Yeardley Smith, who gives the voice to eight-year-old Lisa Simpson, said writing was already under way, but recording would not start until after the present TV series was completed.

And even then it would be three years before the film reached cinemas because the animation process took so long.

“Animation takes forever,” she said.

“My wish for the show is that we go out with a bang not a pimple,” she told Associated Press radio in the United States.

“If we can do a movie and it can be as good as our best episodes, I’m thrilled. I think that would be wonderful.”

Her only fear was that fans of the cartoon classic may have grown bored of the show, which is now in its 15th season.

She said: “I just hope that at this point... people aren’t like ’Oh, a movie, we’re over it’.”

Last week it emerged that the new series of The Simpsons was under threat because of a pay revolt among the actors who give voices to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and the other stars.

According to Hollywood trade magazine Variety, the actors refused to turn up for recording sessions.

The walkout came when Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu and others), Harry Shearer (Mr Burns and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Julie Kavner (Marge) and Nancy Cartwright (Bart) reached an impasse with Fox network bosses.

The two sides were negotiating new contracts for the actors for the next 22 episodes.