Get Ready for Lots of "D'oh" Puns

Time to see if all Fox's marketing magic for The Simpsons Movie will pay off. The Hollywood Reporter is predicting that the TV family's first big-screen appearance "should be rolling in plenty of d'oh" (gee, I wonder how many times we'll be reading that line in the next few days) and will dominate the box office this weekend.

Certainly, no one in America needs an introduction to the Simpsons clan. Creator Matt Groening and producer-director James L. Brooks, who oversaw the creation of the TV series, are on board as producers and writers of the movie, along with a lineup of veterans from the show. David Silverman directs the film, in which Homer and family bump up against the environment and other hot-button topics.

While there always is a question about how many fans will show up for a movie based on a TV series that is going strong in first-run and syndication, the fact that the Simpsons' fan base rushed the dozen 7-Eleven locations in North America that were outfitted as Kwik-E-Marts is a good omen. While Fox is cautiously hoping that the movie opens in the mid-$30 million range, it could easily shoot into $40 million territory, possibly hitting the $50 million mark as the PG-13 movie opens in 3,922 theaters.

This kind of movie is usually review proof, but the critics seem to be loving it (88 percent fresh on Rottentomatoes.com). From all reports, the humor has bite and the satire remains timely. It's good to see a much-anticipated summer movie finally deliver on expectations.