The Beast with a Billion Backs

The Beast with a Billion Backs is the second of the four Direct-to-DVD films to be released in 2008. The film will be released for region 1 on 24 June, 2008 and region 2 on 30 June, 2008. Fans in region 4 will have to wait until 6 August, 2008.

As of 8 July, 2007 the voice acting for all the films (which includes the fifth season) is finished, according to Lauren Tom. It will guest star Stephen Hawking, David Cross, Dan Castellaneta and Brittany Murphy.

According to a recent Wired article, "The Beast With a Billion Backs," can be viewed as a full-length movie about a creature that carries on a simultaneous affair with everyone in the galaxy.

The story will continue from where Bender's Big Score ended.

Plot summary
The sneak peek from the special edition of Bender's Big Score exclusive to Best Buy appears to be telling the story onward from where Bender's Big Score ends, namely the rift in time and space. What we can tell from animatic is that the rift is the gateway to another universe, and soon some huge tentacles come out and one starts controlling Fry, who becomes the leader of a new religion (notice the tentacles in the teaser image from Futurama Returns below). Bender seems to be upset about something.

Meanwhile, more stuff about Kif and Amy's relationship, Fry gets a girlfriend with four other boyfriends (at the same time) before he becomes a pope and Farnsworth and Wernstrom battle once again.

This is followed by the entire human population "dying" and going to "Heaven", and thus giving Earth to the robots, because robots don't go to Heaven.

When trying to see the rift's effect on a giant ant, the Professor accidentally focuses it on himself. The movie may also show what happened to Nibbler after he transported himself out of the universe in Bender's Big Score.

Trivia

 * The title is a reference to Shakespeare's line "I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs." in the play Othello (however, use of the phrase dates back before this usage). In "Spanish Fry", the sex shop in which Fry, Bender and Leela enter is called "The Beast with Two Bucks", which is a reference to the same line.
 * It also references, The Beast With a Million Eyes. Incidentally plot of that movie involves a huge alien mind controlling the weak minded, albeit to fuel hatred rather than coerce the world into having sex with it. The movie came out in 1955, and the box art for The Beast With a Billion Backs is modeled after 1950's horror movies involving monsters.
 * A sneak peek was included in a two disc DVD of Bender's Big Score exclusive to Best Buy.
 * The official trailer (in colour) has been released and can be watched on CircuitCity (Windows Media Video capable player required).

Characters
Characters that can automatically confirmed, and characters that have been confirmed.

Cast

 * Billy West as Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert Farnsworth, Dr. John Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan, Richard Nixon's head, Bolt Rolands, Additional Voices
 * Katey Sagal as Turanga Leela
 * John DiMaggio as Bender, Curly Joe, Additional Voices
 * Tress MacNeille as Linda, The Grand Midwife, Amazonians, Additional Voices
 * Maurice LaMarche as Kif Kroker, Morbo, Calculon, Additional Voices
 * Phil LaMarr as Hermes Conrad, Ethan 'Bubblegum' Tate, Ndulu, Additional Voices
 * Lauren Tom as Amy Wong, Additional Voices
 * David Herman as Dr. Ogden Wernstrom, Sweet Clyde Dixon, Pazuzu, Giant Medium Sized Ant, Additional Voices
 * David Cross as Yivo
 * Brittany Murphy as Colleen
 * Stephen Hawking as Himself
 * Dan Castellaneta as the Robot Devil

The DVD
It has been reported that the DVD will contain :
 * The film itself
 * Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz, Peter Avanzino and Lee Supercinski
 * Futurama The Lost Adventure - A Long-Lost, Full-Length Adventure Produced for the Futurama Video Game
 * Audio Commentary By Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Michael Rowe, J. Stewart Burns and Lee Supercinski
 * Meet Yivo! Featurette with David Cross
 * A Brief History Of Deathball Featurette
 * Blooperama: The Futurama Cast At "Work"
 * 3D Models With Animator Discussion
 * Storyboard Animatic: The Beast With A Billion Backs, Part One
 * Deleted Scenes/Storyboards
 * Original Opening
 * Fry and Colleen Meeting
 * St. Asimov Parade
 * Zapp and Scientists
 * Amy, Fry and Leela
 * Scruffy, the Janitor
 * - A Sneak Peek at the Next Futurama Epic!