MacFarlane's Family Guy Movie: His 'Break Glass' Emergency Plan
Talk about a contingency plan! Seth MacFarlane, the mastermind behind the enduring Western animation titan Family Guy, recently revealed he has a feature film concept tucked away. His ultimate backup? A movie he'd deploy “for when everything else goes to shit,” as he put it during The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast.
MacFarlane, honored with a Maverick Award, expressed consistent shock at Family Guy's continued high viewership a quarter-century into its run. The movie, he clarified, isn't just a fantasy. It's an “arrow in the quiver” he envisions as an audience “palette cleanser” after any major professional flop. A fascinating creative gamble for such a long-standing property.
This isn't the only expansion for the animated universe. A new Stewie-focused spinoff series is also on the way. Stewie gets expelled from preschool, forced into a less-than-stellar new one, and naturally, uses his trusty devices to turn mundane school days into wild, time-traveling adventures. Kirker Butler, a long-time series writer, is helming the project alongside MacFarlane and Kara Vallow as executive producers. It's clear the Family Guy universe isn't slowing down anytime soon.
“I keep [the Family Guy feature film] for when everything else goes to shit.”
Catzye Take
It's rare for creators of such enduring properties to be so candid about their backup plans. This reveals a pragmatic, almost cynical, side to creative longevity, but also a deep understanding of audience loyalty. Anime fans know this loyalty well; just look at series celebrating decades on air. This shift to a Stewie-centric spinoff also reflects a trend of expanding successful animated universes with focused side stories, much like what we see in many popular anime franchises.
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