The Bob's Burgers Movie Co-Director Explains How A Film Was The Next Logical Step For The Franchise [Exclusive]
"Bob's Burgers" is the latest in a long line of fan-favorite animated shows to make the jump from our TV screens to cinemas around the world. "Beavis and Butthead," "South Park," and "Pokemon" are just a few of the notable series that made the transition from the family television set to multiple screens at your local multiplex. Although, these cartoons didn't just appear in a theater overnight. A number of factors had to come together in order for these releases to come together.
As the team behind "The Simpsons" found out while they were working on their long-awaited theatrical debut, it's all about timing. Not only were they still producing a weekly TV show, but they also need they right story to make sure that a major motion picture was warranted rather than have it be a quick cash grab. Eventually, after accumulating many seasons under their belts, everything aligned perfectly for "The Simpsons Movie" to become a reality in 2007.
For the Belcher family, after having the benefit of learning from those that came before them — like their network peers "The Simpsons" — the perfect time is now as their first movie is preparing to hit theaters this coming Memorial Day weekend. And series creator Loren Bouchard feels like the whole team behind "The Bob's Burgers Movie" is well-equipped to take that leap.
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While speaking to /Film to promote the upcoming movie, "The Bob's Burgers Movie" co-director and co-writer Loren Bouchard shared that the team behind the show had finally reached a point in their creative process where they can juggle multiple projects at once. From comic books to cookbooks to a live concert that could have toured if they wanted to, "Bob's Burgers" was ready to take on a much grander challenge beyond their acclaimed Fox series. After testing their mettle with all those other side hustles, that's when the studio approached Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise with the opportunity to star in their own film. According to Bouchard:
"It was perfect timing because we were finally really thinking about a theater. Because it's not just the screen that's big, it's the number of bodies that are together in one place, and all the humanity in one space that you are starting to understand is its own unique thing. And so doing the live show was really eye-opening. The cast is all comedians. They all knew this already. But some of us animation nerds never leave our houses and had never been in front of that many people, and had never had to think about it. But once you're faced with the possibility that 'Bob's Burgers' has to entertain 2,000 people in a room and they've paid to be there, it puts a unique kind of spin on things. So it was really good timing. They said, 'You want to make a movie?' And we were like, 'Yeah. Yeah, we do. We'd like to take that challenge on.'"
Now that they've conquered the challenge of a movie, maybe they can circle back to that live tour idea again. Considering how many new musical numbers have been added to the songbook since the last tour, there's a good case for the Belchers to hit the road again for a few nights of stand up comedy and sing-alongs. Fingers crossed that Bouchard and company can squeeze that in at some point between the show's thirteenth season and the next "Bob's Burgers" movie.
"The Bob's Burgers Movie" will be served in theaters on May 27, 2022.