Rick & Morty Season 7 Already in Development

[Nergal]

 

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon has revealed the show's team is already working on season 7, despite having finished airing season 4 this year. The Adult Swim animated series premiered in 2013 and has been renewed for season 5. A premiere date for the new season hasn't been announced. Luckily, those working on Rick and Morty have been able to continue on remotely during the pandemic, which should help matters.

Two years elapsed between the release of season 3 and season 4. However, in the interim, Adult Swim ordered 70 more episodes of the show to be divided among future seasons. This means there are still at least 60 Rick and Morty episodes to go. That bodes well for a shorter wait between seasons 4 and 5. The most recent installment of the series, season 4, episode 10, “Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri,” featured Space Beth, opening up more of the Rick and Beth relationship and increasing excitement for season 5.

During a virtual panel at the Adult Swim Festival 2020, Harmon revealed the team is already working three seasons ahead on season 7. The main purpose of the panel was for the cast to answer fan questions and unpack season 4. However, at one point, Harmon took it even further, teasing, “I think we're working on season 7 right now, I can't even keep track. I wouldn't know if I were spoiling season 5 or season 6." Harmon also mentioned viewers should expect “pretty groovy things coming regarding Beth...Space Beth was not a one-off character.”



While the events of COVID-19 have impacted many film and television productions since March, it appears it has instead positively impacted Rick & Morty. During another virtual event, Harmon said the lockdown has helped those working on the show focus. Based on that information, it's not too surprising they're already turning their attention to season 7. Of course, as Harmon pointed out, working so far ahead of the show's airing time does present new challenges with spoilers.

The news about season 7 also bodes well for the premiere of season 5 and even season 6. If the creative team is working ahead, it will be easier to get those seasons on the air in a timely fashion. Additionally, fans now know they have at least until season 7 with Rick, Morty, Summer, Jerry, and Beth. However, considering the 70-episode order, it seems likely there will be even more. As the Rick and Morty team continues to work on the upcoming seasons, viewers can refresh their memories by streaming seasons 1-4 in the meantime. While the pandemic has hit many productions hard this year, it's a relief to see one animated favorite seems to be adapting just fine, with multiple seasons on the way.