American moviegoers have had their first taste of The Simpsons movie. Fans who went to see Ice Age 2: The Meltdown this weekend were treated to the first teaser trailer for the first big screen outing for America's favourite TV family.
The 25-second trailer began with a giant superhero-sized letter 'S' as a voice announced: "Leaping his way onto the silver screen... the greatest hero in American history!"
The scene then cut to father Homer Simpson sitting on his couch in his underwear, saying: "I forgot what I was supposed to say."
Creator Matt Groening said: "We've been running a little behind schedule, but only by about 15 years or so.
"We felt the time was right for a movie and for Milhouse to win an Oscar."
In 2001, the cast signed new contracts that stipulated they could be in a movie. Voice recordings on the film started last month, but creators are staying tight-lipped about the plot but have revealed that dummy scripts might be circulated to keep internet spies off the track.
The Simpsons, one of the most successful shows in US TV history, is now in its 17th season - and bosses have already said yes to another two series. The full length feature is due for release in July 2007.