Simpsons Hit & Run Remaster More Likely Than Ever Following Official Recast Of Major Character

Published Oct 25, 2026, 7:01 PM EDT

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

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The Simpsons Hit & Run is one of those games that just came along at the perfect time for those of us who were born in the mid-90s. It featured a beloved and familiar cast of characters who we all grew up watching, and it was fundamentally a very good game that served as the perfect representation of the universe we now know so well.

Unfortunately, it very much remains a firm fixture of the past and getting hold of a copy today is actually a surprisingly difficult task, and one that will cost you plenty of your hard-earned money. That said, a return has been rumored for years and, though it has never materialized in any real way, a recent move made on the TV show itself could have far-reaching consequences for players everywhere.

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

As first noted by GameRant, The Simpsons TV show recently made a major change that has almost never happened in the history of the franchise. Specifically, you will have noticed that Kwik-e-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon hasn't featured in the series for almost a decade at this point.

That came due to public concerns over the voice being used by longtime cast member Hank Azaria, and the character was quietly shelved while the producers decided what they wanted to do with him.

Now actor Sunil Malhotra has debuted in the role for the first time, as part of the traditional Halloween special, Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening, with the assumption being that the character will be back in regular action from here on out.

Aside from the fact that it will be nice to have the lovable store owner back in the show, it could also mean that one of the final barriers to a Simpsons Hit & Run remake has finally been removed. Apu plays a major role in the game and he is comfortably one of its most recognizable characters, so having someone who could step in and easily replace the voice lines in a new version of the release would make things a lot easier for the development team.

It would certainly be nice to see the game return in any form, particularly after it emerged that there was meant to be several sequels, which never materialized for one reason or another. It certainly wasn't because the game wasn't a commercial success, because it served as one of the absolute best-selling titles of that era.

There likely won't be much in the way of rights issues either, with all of the IP still in the same hands as it was 20 years ago, albeit through several new layers of parent companies and the like.

By marian1817 MoviestillsDB.com

Outside of that, fans of The Simpsons have a new movie to look forward to relatively soon. Helpfully titled, The New Simpsons Movie, it is currently scheduled for release on September 3, 2027 and it's set to serve as a direct sequel to the last film, though its unclear if the episodes that have come out in the intervening will make a difference to the overall story.

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