Futurama original voice cast changed, budget cuts

20th Century Fox TV has officially announced Futurama‘s return for another season next year. However, reports point towards a major change in the series: the original voice cast would have to be changed.

Fox TV had previously announced that Futurama, a TV series created by Matt Groening of The Simpsons, would be airing 26 new episodes come mid-2010, with Comedy Central already signed in the works, and the show’s original stars already on board. However, reports also say that the studio, along with its major cast, has had discussions regarding their compensations, to which the studio could not afford to meet.

Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, among others, had formally expressed their interest in signing on for the next season of the show, but apparently, Fox TV cannot meet the salaries that the actors and actresses were asking for because of budget cuts.

The studio has subsequently put out audition / casting calls for certain parts in the series.