The worlds ofFuturamaand2001: A Space Odysseycollide as Bender voice actor John DiMaggio recreates an iconic HAL 9000 scene. First airing in 1999,Futuramaepisodes chronicle the misadventures of pizza delivery driver Philip J. Fry (Billy West) after he is accidentally frozen in 1999 before then reawakening in the year 2999. Bender, a hard-drinking robot, has been a prominent character in the show since its premiere.2001: A Space Odyssey(1968), on the other hand, hails from director Stanley Kubrick and is widely considered one of the most important sci-fi movies ever made.
Voice actorRob Paulsennow takes to Instagram to share a recent recording session with DiMaggio in which the pair reenact a scene from2001: A Space Odyssey. The scene in question from the 1968 classic features the HAL 9000 computer system refusing to open the pod bay doors for Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea).DiMaggio speaks the same Hal 9000 lines but in his iconic Bender voice and with the same cadence, turning the tense scene into a comedic encounter. Check out the video below:
How 2001: A Space Odyssey Connects To Bender In Futurama
The Two Titles Explore Some Similar Themes
Though there are various science-fiction themes that Kubrick explores in2001: A Space Odyssey, the notion of artificial intelligence is clearly a main focus.The HAL 9000 computer system essentially has control of Dave’s ship in the film, and it is responsible for ensuring that the vessel remains on course with as few risks as possible. The frightening dark side of this computer system becomes evident when it refuses to obey Dave’s order, however, and its cameras even read Dave’s lips as he tries to plot against it.
2001: A Space Odyssey Ending Explained
From the Star Gate to a time-traveling bedroom, there is a lot to unpack in the ambiguous ending of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Futuramadirectly parodies2001: A Space Odysseyin season 4, episode 3, “Love and Rocket,” which aired in 2002.
ThoughFuturamais an animated sitcom and not one of the most seminal works of science-fiction in movie history, it too explores some similar AI themes, though in a very different way. Bender, as a robot, has artificial intelligence, and he is ultimately a fairly antagonistic character.One of Bender’s most memorable expressions is actually “kill all humans,“and this theme of humans versus AI has been a mainstay of the sci-fi genre for decades.
Our Take On DiMaggio’s HAL 9000 Bender Video
Are More 2001: A Space Odyssey Parodies On The Way?
Futurama’s voice castis a major reason for the show’s success, in addition to its writing and animation style. DiMaggio’s Bender is easily one of the show’s most iconic characters, and it’s fun to see the voice actor bringing his character into an entirely new – but still fitting – situation.
Futuramaseason 13 is confirmedto arrive on Hulu in the coming years, and it’s certainly possible that another2001: A Space Odysseyparody will happen in the new episodes. Though rights issues mean it’s unlikely that Bender will be spouting any HAL 9000 lines inFuturama, the above video serves as an interesting peek at a potential crossover.
Futurama
Cast
Futurama is an animated science fiction series that follows Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from late-20th-century New York City. He is accidentally cryogenically frozen for a thousand years and becomes an employee at Planet Express, a delivery service in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
