You may remember Troy McClure from films like David vs. Super Goliath, Gladys the Groovy Mule, and The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel. As impressive as his fictional résumé may be, we missed out on what could have been his true magnum opus: a live-action Simpsons Movie that never materialized after Phil Hartman’s tragic death. Though the project never made it past the early excitement phase, it had all the makings of a cult classic and was seriously considered at one point in time.
Talks Of A Simpsons Movie Went As Far Back As 1992
At the height of Simpsons mania, Fox was desperate for a feature-length adaptation they could cash in on. The network even granted the creative team an open-ended contract, giving them all the time they needed to develop the right concept.
One of the earliest ideas was expanding Season 4’s “Kamp Krusty” into a full-length feature, but it was quickly scrapped. The writers could barely stretch the premise to fill a 22-minute episode, let alone a movie.
Matt Groening, the show’s creator, was particularly enthusiastic about Simptasia, a Simpsons parody of Fantasia. There were also discussions about turning the Treehouse of Horror specials into an anthology-style movie, but that idea was ultimately set aside for something with a single, cohesive storyline.
Phil Hartman’s Live-Action Simpsons Movie Pitch
During this time, frequent collaborator Phil Hartman (you may remember him from blockbusters like Jingle All the Way and Small Soldiers) pitched a live-action Simpsons movie based on Troy McLure, a fan-favorite character of the highest order during the show’s Golden Era. Believe it or not, everybody was behind this idea.
Josh Weinstein, the showrunner at the time, proposed that they use Season 7’s “A Fish Called Selma” as a launching point for the live-action Simpsons movie, but then tragedy struck in the worst kind of way. Hartman was taken away from us when he was murdered by his wife, Brynn Omdahl, before she turned the gun on herself.
“A Fish Called Selma”
Troy McLure, Lionel Hutz, and the myriad side characters that Hartman voiced were rightfully retired from The Simpsons out of respect for his legacy, and the series was never the same again. Had Hartman not passed away, the idea of a live-action Simpsons movie based on Troy McLure very well could have been a reality.
It would take nearly another decade for The Simpsons Movie to be fully realized, which was a massive critical and commercial success, earning over half a billion at the box office. But still, I weep at what could have been because a Troy McLure movie would have been an absolute treat.
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