An eight-episode series based on a controversial animated film is releasing on Amazon Prime Video this week - despite people complaining that 'nobody asked' for it.
2016's Sausage Party, co-created by and starring Seth Rogan, followed an anthropomorphic sausage who lived in a supermarket and discovered the reality of the outside world and what happens when groceries are purchased. Now a spin-off TV show, starring much of the original cast, is set to launch.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia will see Rogen return as Frank the sausage, Kristen Wiig as Brend the hot dog bun, Michael Cera as Barry the sausage, David Krumholtz as Kareem Abdul Lavash the lavash and Edward Norton as Sammy Bagel Junior.
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Sam Richardson joins the cast as Julius the orange, Will Forte as a human called Jack and Scott Underwood as Gum, who appears to be the food items' overlord. The animated series will debut all eight episodes on Thursday July 11 exclusively on Prime Video.
The original film was lauded in controversy - from criticism over purported rape scenes and racism on screen, to allegations of poor staff treatment off-screen, including claims that some animators were forced to work for free.
When Amazon Prime Video teased the trailer for Foodtopia last month, which you can watch above, it was met with a mixed reaction. Plenty were unimpressed by the idea of another Sausage Party instalment.
@S70MPY commented: "a sequel to a movie nobody asked for that nobody wants" as @LackeyKeyNii agreed, asking: "This is so f****** stupid. I hate cursing but did anyone really want this?" @thc_gm reckoned: "never thought that a dogs*** movie woouldve gotten a sequel" as @puttybandana wondered: "how the hell does this get approved??"
However others were more open to the new series, as @comicsgames34_ admitted: "The movie is a guilty pleasure of mine so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this well enough". @WIRF001 added: "I'll try it... Didn't mind the first one personally".
The new series is looked after by Annapurna Television, Sony Pictures Television, and Amazon MGM Studios. The original film's animation was handled by the Vancouver-based Nitrogen Studios.
Sausage Party director Greg Tiernan contacted the Express Online in 2016 after allegations of staff mistreatment surfaced online. In response, Tiernan quoted Nitrogen Studio’s President and CEO, Nicole Stinn. Stinn is also Tiernan’s wife, who co-founded the Canadian animation studio with him.
She said: “These claims are without merit. Our production adhered to all overtime laws and regulations, as well as our contractual obligations with our artists.”
Tiernan and co-director Conrad Vernon gave an interview about Sausage Party on the Cartoon Brew website. The comments section was filled with allegations of forcing staff to work for free with threats of blacklisting. Those commenting used usernames like Uncredited Supervisor or Uncredited Animator.
It’s said that the situation came to a head, with a joint letter from up to 30 animators and supervisors being written to Annapurna Pictures, the film’s co-financier, about unpaid overtime, at which point the producer stepped in paid staff accordingly. Tiernan would neither confirm nor deny receiving the joint letter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia releases on Thursday July 11 on Amazon Prime Video.
