People spot insane detail as second Simpsons movie announced

Fans have spotted something very on-brand about the announcement of a second Simpsons film.

The Simpsons is one of the longest-running animated television series' of all time, with the Fox show airing the first episode of its 37th season over 35 years since its pilot episode.

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie make up what has arguably been TV's most recognisable family for decades, alongside several iconic side characters.

While you may be a Ned Flanders fan or enjoy a chuckle at Milhouse's expense, the show has managed to keep generations of fans hooked.

The series has been immensely popular for decades, but The Simpsons also saw success in the release of a film in 2007, which grossed over $536 million against a $75 million budget, while also boasting a score of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fans have been wondering when a sequel would be released, following the popularity of The Simpsons Movie, and they won't need to wonder any longer.

20th Century Studios took to Instagram to announce the release date for the second film based around characters in the series, which has been slated for 23 July 2027.

It means that the second film will come out exactly 20 years after the release of its predecessor, which was only made after over 400 episodes of the iconic comedy over 18 years.

The movie's teaser poster featured a picture of Homer Simpson reaching for a doughnut with pink sprinkles in the shape of the number two, accompanied with text which read 'Homer’s coming back for seconds'.

"Woohoo! The Simpsons are coming to theaters with an all-new movie on July 23, 2027!" the caption of the social media post read.

As many will be eager to see if Spider Pig will make an appearance, some eagle-eyed fans realised one detail about the release date, which can be seen in the opening sequence of the first episode of season 19, which followed The Simpsons Movie.

It was during the blackboard gag, a running joke in the opening sequence where Bart is writing a phrase on the board repeatedly during detention, running out at the sound of the school bell.

The phrase in this episode read: "I will not wait 20 years to make another movie."

But almost exactly 20 years on from the first film's release, the sequel is set to be released, going completely against the words Bart wrote on the board.

Given The Simpsons is credited with predicting everything from Hawk Tuah Girl to the results of the 2024 election, it's hardly surprising the creators appear to have had the foresight to make this joke pay off two decades later.

One fan took to X, writing: "I guess it feels very Simpsons for this joke to still be accurate by a 4 day margin," with another posting on Instagram: "They actually stuck to their promise about waiting 20 years for a sequel."

Someone else even pointed out: "What’s funny is that, counting the leap days, it really does add up to exactly 20 years."

A fourth wrote: "Funniest thing they can do is leave Bart writing the same sentence in the sequel’s opening."

Some are already looking forward to a third movie, as one put: "See you in 2047 for the THIRD Simpsons movie!"

Let's hope the creators don't delay the sequel's production and they see the joke through, for the culture.