Ocean Avenue hamburgers have never tasted this good. Deadline is reporting today that acclaimed Fox animated series Bob’s Burgers will be getting a feature-length film, according to 20th Century Fox.
The cartoon, brainchild of Loren Bouchard (Home Movies) and writer Jim Dauterive, has been a staple on Fox since 2011, and is now in the midst of its eighth season. Bob’s Burgers has twice received an Emmy award for Outstanding Animated Series, having earned a nomination in that category every year since 2012.
The movie adaptation is tentatively set for release on July 17, 2020, and should feature the main cast in its entirety: H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher, John Roberts as Linda Belcher (Bob’s wife), Dan Mintz as Tina (their eldest daughter), Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher, and Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher (the youngest daughter).
Few network television series — let alone cartoons — boast the comic consistency and steady popularity that Bob’s Burgers has, with stellar voice acting and sharp writing. It’s been ten years already since The Simpsons Movie came out, and while Bob’s Burgers doesn’t quite have the type of lengthy legacy that Matt Groening’s iconic series does, we still have high hopes for its transition to the silver screen (related: We’re excited about Groening’s upcoming Netflix collaboration).
Speaking on behalf of 20th Century Fox, CEO and chairman Stacey Snider attributed the decision to greenlight a full-length film to a renewed focus on family programming. Bouchard, meanwhile, seems to understand the scrutiny that comes with the territory: “We know the movie has to … fill every inch of the screen with the colors and the sounds and the ever so slightly greasy texture of the world of Bob’s – but, most of all, it has to take our characters on an epic adventure. In other words, it has to be the best movie ever made. But no pressure, right?!”
Sometimes, television creators have difficulty translating show concepts into feature films; often, the pacing is off, or the stakes just don’t feel high enough. It’s challenging to keep a fanbase happy without just making a 90-minute episode, so we’re curious to see how this all plays out. Either way, we’re excited to see what kind of punny name Bob cooks up for his daily special.
