‘Ella McCay’ Is Coming to Disney+ So Let's Talk About Those ‘Simpsons’ Rumors

Ella McCay is a movie that exists! It came out, had actors in it, presumably a crew that helped set up shots, visited crafty, the whole nine. Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri, and even Albert Brooks appeared in this major motion picture that was put out by 20th Century Studios. It is a political comedy that came out barely over a month ago, even though it finished filming in early 2024. And, to promote the film, there was a strange Simpsons tie-in.

What the hell?! Seeing members of America’s favorite yellow family be that sincere about a movie that not only exists but that was essentially made by one of their bosses is… cringey. Brooks developed The Simpsons and has been working on it for its entirety. So, I understand using one of his most valuable assets to promote one of his potential new ones, but Jebus. I had heard about the ad but only just watched it for this, and it’s rough. But, is it worth it if it brings us another Simpsons movie?

Ella McCay tanked hard. Even with a relatively modest budget, it still barely moved the needle at the box office. The film also received mostly negative reviews. It is hitting Disney+ soon, less than two months after it arrived in theaters. It’s depressing because there was a time when Brooks was the king of these sorts of movies. But he’s not who he used to be, and even still, it took him once being who he was to get this greenlit in the first place. That, and a little help from a certain family.

The Emma Mackey-starring movie was greenlit by Disney in 2023, and with it came rumors that there was more to it than just one picture. While most people agree that Jeff Sneider is more full of hot air than anything else, he said at the time that Disney agreed to make the film only if Brooks agreed to make another Simpsons movie. At the time, it seemed like just a rumor from a questionable source. Now, here we are two years later, and several months after the announcement of a second Simpsons movie that’s due out late next year.

This could all be a coincidence! Disney has not been shy about wanting another Simpsons movie. However, Brooks’ last film was a disaster. It did so poorly that people assumed it would end up being his last one. Regardless, Disney allowed him to make a film that they don’t really make anymore. They rolled the dice on something that was likely going to fail, no matter how many stars it snagged. But, is it that big a risk if it guarantees them another theatrical outing for one of the longest-running TV shows ever? I think not.