One very famous fictional city called Springfield, serves as hometown to the world’s first family of comedy — The Simpsons. Now to celebrate this summer’s theatrical release of The Simpsons Movie, USA Today is inviting its readers to vote for their favorite real-life “Springfield.” Competing communities across the U.S. named Springfield, will compete to win a special “Hometown Premiere” of the film on July 26th.
Each participating Springfield will have approximately 30 days to submit a short film, 3-5 minutes long, showcasing the community’s “Simpson Spirit.” USA Today is inviting its readers to vote for their favorite “Hometown Movie” online at USAToday.com.
Twentieth Century Fox, which releases The Simpsons Movie worldwide on July 27, will provide each participating community with key Simpson’s filmmaking tools, including a digital video camera, The Simpsons Movie couch theatre display, The Simpsons Movie posters, digital files of the film’s logo and character art — and Simpsons — yellow paint.
Matt Groening, the series’ co-creator, has said he chose “Springfield” as the Simpsons’ home because it is one of the more common city names in the U.S. Homer Simpson said, “This is great! It will give me a chance to finally find out where Springfield is!”
Entrants should send their films to: The Simpson’s Movie Springfield Challenge, Attn: Gwyne Ortiz, Twentieth Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., 88/3023, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Twentieth Century Fox must receive all entries by June 28. Shortly thereafter, the films will be posted on USAToday.com — at which time visitors to the site can vote for their favorite Hometown Movie. The “polls” close July 9 and the winning city will be announced on or about July 10.
Fox will roll out the “yellow carpet” for the winning Springfield at the premiere screening event of The Simpsons Movie, where attendees will get the V.I.P. treatment — and be among the first in the world to see the long-anticipated movie before it hits theaters.
The fourteen participating Springfields are: Massachusetts, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, Kentucky, Nebraska, Colorado, Louisiana, and Vermont (Township).
It takes a wide screen to fully capture Homer Simpson’s stupidity, and The Simpsons Movie does it. In the eagerly-awaited animated feature film based on the hit TV series, Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created.
Starring in the animated film are Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, and Albert Brooks.
Producing the feature are “The Simpsons” series executive producer James L. Brooks, creator Matt Groening, current showrunner Al Jean, Mike Scully and Richard Sakai. The script is written by Groening, Brooks, Jean, Scully, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, and Jon Vitti — all series veterans.
David Silverman (Monsters, Inc.), the series’ supervising animation director, is helming the feature.
