As if it wasn’t already a deeply foreign concept for fans to learn that Adult Swim’s Rick And Morty season 5 was on schedule for release – and from notorious procrastinator / co-creator Dan Harmon, no less – staff writer Alex Rubens has revealed production is so far ahead, the writing process for Rick And Morty season 7 has already begun.
“Am I allowed to say we started writing Rick And Morty season 7? If not, we didn’t and I’m not,” Rubens tweets.
Dan Harmon himself has previously alluded to the fact that both season 6 and season 7 was in the works during a panel session at the Adult Swim Festival last November – which, in conjunction with Ruben’s little spill, is confirmation enough.
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“I think we’re working on [Rick And Morty] season 7 right now, I can’t even keep track,” Harmon admitted.
“I wouldn’t know if I were spoiling season 5 or season 6.”
“We’re more on schedule than we’ve ever been. [COVID-19] kind of makes you have to focus on the whole process when you don’t have this office environment anymore.”
“Everyone has to run this bee colony remotely, so the honey just gets made more consistently… It’s working for us.”
While the direction of Rick And Morty season 5 has yet to be discerned, a smattering of hints have been offered in the past year or so. Responding to Alex Ruben’s revelation, one fan light-heartedly speculated that the titular Rick Sanchez dies of “multi-dimensional cancer” after episode 3, prompting the show to simply be called Morty thereafter; to which Rubens sarcastically – or not-so-sarcastically – replied: “Jesus Christ, switch to DMs, these are enormous spoilers.”
In a more sincere exchange, show producer and writer Scott Marder has teased some “epic canon” on the way in the upcoming season 5.
“Fans are gonna, like, get knocked over by the canon we’re about to hit them with,” says Marder.
“All the stuff we’re doing is so awesome.”
Given the show’s only real narrative through-line involves the Intergalactic Federation, Bird Person’s resurrection as Phoenix Person along with Tammy the Spy, and Evil Morty – the first two having been somewhat resolved across the latest season – we’re hedging our bets on the canon involving regular old Morty C-137’s Machiavellian alternate.
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Additionally, during last year’s Comic-Con at Home virtual panel, Dan Harmon offered the following:
“There’s an episode in season 5 where Morty has a relationship with another female character that’s not Jessica. It’s just a great little story and my very, very longtime friend and collaborator Rob Schrab wrote it… He’s also a very tender writer – a juvenile John Hughes. He really feels heartache on a level a man his age shouldn’t… my Emmy is going to that one.”
While the exact Rick And Morty season 5 release date has not yet been revealed (nor season 6 or season 7 for obvious reasons) – not even so much as a hint beyond the basic reassurance that season 5 is “coming soon” – it’s safe to assume there’s plenty of animated content with the same comedic DNA coming our way… especially considering the fact both co-creators have now branched out with their very own animated projects.
It was recently announced that Dan Harmon is developing a series set in mythical ancient Greece, centred on a “flawed family of humans, gods, and monsters” who attempt to run one of the world’s first cities “without killing each other”. Justin Roiland, on the other hand, is churning out the sophomore instalment of Solar Opposites for Hulu, which follows a family of aliens who take refuge in middle America and must learn to adapt. Hooray for content!
In 2018, Adult Swim commissioned a total of 70 new episodes. After the conclusion of the fourth season, another 60 remains on the docket.
