'Family Guy' Movie Mixing Live Action and Animation Reportedly in the Works

A new report about how 20th Century Fox's upcoming movie releases have been affected by the recent [...]

A new report about how 20th Century Fox's upcoming movie releases have been affected by the recent Disney acquisition deal has revealed an interesting development: a Family Guy movie is apparently in the works. Not only that, but the movie will be a mix of animation and live-action.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the studio is partnering with the Fox television studio for a movie adaptation of Bob's Burgers, a Simpsons movie, as well as a Family Guy film that will combine animation and live action.

Of all those Fox animated movies (each of which we're excited about), the Family Guy movie project seems the most intriguing. It definitely sounds like something that series creator Seth MacFarlane would pursue; his Ted film series already mixes real actors with a CGI teddy bear, to great comedic effect.

More to the point, Family Guy has already featured several cut scenes where the show crossover with the real world: for instance, this famous epilogue from the episode "Not All Doges Go To Heaven," featuring Rob Lowe and the late Adam West.

can pretty much do anything with its wild premise and cast of characters, so it's not all that hard to imagine a scenario in this film where Stewie and/or Brian create a way to another dimension, which just so happens to be the real-world dimension that we exist in.

From there, it's pretty clear that MacFarlane and Co. would be able to use that premise as a way to hold a mirror up to the current socio-political status quo, and how it compares to the absurd world of cartoon characters (three guesses which one looks more absurd, at this point). It will be interesting to see if the show's traditional animation style is carried over to the film, or if the characters are given something like a 3D CGI makeover.

After being on the air for 16 seasons (and counting), it's a good time for Family Guy to make a move to the big screen. Like The Simpsons before it, the show has lost some clout and credibly with its previous fanbase, with the usual "not funny anymore" criticisms being lobbed around. A feature film will bring the series a fair amount of renewed relevance — especially if MacFarlane can make a fine blend of the two respective forms of entertainment (animated series and live-action comedy movies) he's excelled at.

Family Guy will return for season 17 on Sept. 30th on Fox. We'll keep you updated on the status of the Family Guy movie.

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