The Simpsons is famous for the uncanny number of predictive jokes that happen to come true on the show, but one particularly long-gestating gag finally paid off with the announcement of The Simpsons Movie 2. Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons has been on the air since 1989 and remains the longest-running animated series in TV history.

With such a wide demographic base to appeal to, The Simpsons Movie turned into a monster hit when it was released in 2007. Despite years of anticipation and expectations, the animated movie stuck the landing when it finally hit theaters. It currently holds an 87% Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, and earned a whopping $536.4 million, one of the most profitable animated movies ever at the time of its release.

The show has famously had a staggering amount of their jokes or moments peeking into the future come true, including everything from Super Bowl participants to Donald Trump’s presidency. However, with the announcement of The Simpsons Movie 2, Groening and the team behind the iconic show appear to have set us all up for a payoff that appears anything but coincidental.

The Simpsons Predicted When The Simpsons Movie 2 Would Arrive Back In 2007

20th Century Studios announced on Instagram that a sequel to The Simpsons Movie, theoretically тιтled The Simpsons Movie 2 (although it’s possible a subтιтle will be added), that will release on July 23rd, 2027. With the original The Simpsons Movie‘s release coming on July 27th, 2007, the sequel will hit theaters almost 20 years to the day from its predecessor’s debut.

In the first episode after The Simpsons movie was released, тιтled “He Loves to Fly and He D’ohs”, Bart’s chalkboard message in the opening credits is “I will not wait 20 years to make another movie.” At the time, it seemed like clever self-deprecation for not taking on a movie until they had 18 seasons under their belt.

It turned out to be particularly prescient, as the sequel will now in fact release another 20 years later. Rumors of a sequel have swirled since 2014, when Albert Brooks (the voice of the first movie’s villain Russ Cargill) first stated that Fox had approached him about a second film. In 2018, it was rumored that a sequel was in development, but any progress was waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It may not have ever been Fox or Groening’s original intention to actually delay a sequel by 20 years; studios don’t typically make business decisions contingent on paying off animated sitcom jokes. However, once it got close enough to the actual number, it seems like nailing the “wait 20 years” prediction for The Simpsons Movie 2 just made too much sense to resist.