Ending a month long work stoppage, the voice cast of THE SIMPSONS and 20th Century Fox Television have reached an agreement, reported VARIETY. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
"We couldn't be happier to have reached a multiyear deal with the enormously talented cast of THE SIMPSONS," series producer 20th Century Fox Television said Friday in a statement.
As part of their contract for the seasons 13, 14 and 15, the actors were making $125,000 per episode. Earlier reports stated that the holdouts, which included Dan Castellaneta (Homer); Julie Kavner (Marge); Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu and others); Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns and others); Yeardley Smith (Lisa) and Nancy Cartwright (Bart), were asking for $360,000 an episode.
The dispute had many fearing that the 2004-05 season would have to be shortened from its scheduled 22 episodes, but Fox states that it will deliver a full season.
This is the second time the cast has held out for more dough. In 1998, when the actors were only making $30,000 an episode, the cast except for Kavner who was still under a preexisting contract fought for big pay increases and won.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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