The Simpsons family are set to make their big-screen comeback, nearly two decades after the first film was released. News of the sequel, which was announced by Disney, showed Homer Simpson taking a pink donut covered in sprinkles with the numerical 2 written all over it. The poster's caption read, "Homer’s coming back for seconds." It hits the screens on July 23, 2027.

The characters of the show were created by cartoonist Matt Groening and first appeared as animated shorts in 1987 before the series premiere in 1989. It follows the Simpson family – Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie – through their day-to-day lives. The series has been on air for an impressive 37 seasons and was recently renewed through to its 40th, which is widely expected to be its last season.

The Simpsons Movie was released in July 2007, saw Homer inadvertently polluting Springfield’s water supply, resulting in the Environmental Protection Agency imprisoning them under a massive glass dome. Homer is then entasked with saving the city and his family from the crisis. It was directed by David Silverman and stars Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, and other recurring actors reprising their roles from the series, with Albert Brooks joining for the film.

A massive success at the box office, it received positive reviews from critics. The film grossed $536.4 million worldwide. Plot details for the new film are currently unknown.

The sequel has the release date that Disney had previously allocated for an untitled Marvel film. Warner Bros' animated film Bad Fairies is also scheduled to hit theatres on the same day as the new Simpsons film.