It took only a few years and seasons for
Rick & Morty
to establish itself in the pantheon of adult animated series, alongside landmarks
The Simpsons
and
South Park
.
What started out as a parody of
Back to the Future
, with zany scientist Rick and his naive grandson Morty caught between everyday scenes and interdimensional adventures, has established itself as a reflective work on pop culture and existence. .
While the all-new season 5 lands Monday in US + 24 and exclusively on Adult Swim, and the series is guaranteed to have five more seasons, 20 Minutes has also met, also exclusively, its co-creator Dan Harmon, well known. series fans for
Community
, a pop and meta masterpiece.
Rick & Morty
has established itself as a reference in pop culture, but can we also talk about punk culture?
Sabotage
of the Beastie Boys punctuates the trailer for season 5, however.
The show has always aimed to undermine, to vandalize pop culture. But, in the United States, it is difficult to tell the difference. You create sneakers, then advertisements to sell them, but you are asked if these ads could not be funny, full works, and of course the brand pays for these ads. So we no longer know when it's punk or pop. Punk, if it's done well, everyone wants to see it and it becomes pop. It is complicated. And that's capitalism. Personally, if I made a show that undermined people's desire to watch TV, then I would consider that I did my job poorly. I am not that revolutionary.
In season 1, Morty lets go "Nobody has anything to do here, nobody is special, everyone is going to die, so come watch TV"… That sums up the spirit of the series well, right?
It is indeed the spirit, but I think people sometimes misunderstand it, are wrong about what nihilism is, our nihilism.
I have an anecdote on this.
I once received an email from a guy who works with young people in difficulty and who has this quote plastered on his office door.
He explained to me that with this sticker, these words, the young people immediately had confidence in him, listened to him.
I think with
Rick & Morty
it's a bit like when you sympathize with someone who is on top of a building, one foot in the air.
You can't tell him stories.
“I know, it sucks, it's scary, confusing, but it's the truth.
Life has no meaning.
Now that we have said it to each other, that we have stopped lying to each other, we can perhaps connect, create a bond.
People tend to confuse nihilism with coldness, but not necessarily, it can be the spice of life.
At least five more seasons of
Rick & Morty
are already planned, aren't you afraid of running out of ideas, of going in circles?
Not at all. They can face bigfoot or whatever, it doesn't matter. Do you know the typical American expression "too big too fail", literally "too big to fail"? This is the motto of our
writer's room
. We take the universe of the series very seriously, it's an essential part of the job. Now that
Rick & Morty
is renewed for more seasons, there is still a lot to discover. By signing this big contract, I think I got a little cooler during the development of the scripts, but it is always important for the success of the show to bring more creative ideas. In terms of production, this guarantee is a big help, because we don't have to wait to find out if we can continue.
Fans are still waiting for the film
Community
.
But is a
Rick and Morty
movie
possible?
We have already thought about it.
I've never really had an animation project as well received by critics and audiences as
Rick & Morty
, so I don't know what the details of such a movie would be, but I think it's possible.
How do you explain the success and even the cult around the series?
I think there are a lot of different reasons, like it's funny.
(laughs)
But also because there is empathy.
People identify with the dynamics of the Smith family, and want to follow the development of all of these characters.
This is another reason, perhaps the most important.
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