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Whether you were shouting "boo" or "Boo-urns" when Harry Shearer announced seven weeks ago that he would not be joining the rest of The Simpsons cast for more seasons, we have good news for you: Mr. Burns is back!
Shearer—the voice of Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, and countless other characters on the very-long-running animated comedy—has agreed to join the rest of the show's original cast members for two more seasons, after very publicly proclaiming that he was leaving. The actor has signed the same contract as the other five primary voice actors on the show—Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria—for an estimated $300,000 per episode, according to Entertainment Weekly.
It seems the dispute Shearer had with Fox back in May, when he announced his departure, was not about money, but rather the flexibility of his schedule. At the time, Shearer suggested on Twitter that the show didn't allow him the freedom to work on other projects. The team behind the show remained hopeful that Shearer might return, and after eventual discussions with Shearer, the parties have apparently come to an agreement.
To remain on schedule, Fox did begin production on the latest season of the show without Shearer, but he will now rejoin the cast for subsequent episodes.
In other words:
We are extremely pleased to announce that all principal cast members of #TheSimpsons have now been signed. Woo Hoo! pic.twitter.com/pRHW8WJ2oY
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) July 7, 2015
