Seth MacFarlanetalks Family Guy movie

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"It's a just a matter of when..."

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has confirmed that a movie outing for the foul-mouthed, animated TV family is currently in the works.

Probed by a classroom of UCLA students - at an event to publicise a contest that gives university attendees the chance to join him on stage when he hosts the Oscars next year - he admitted, “It’s just a matter of when”.

Since it began in 1999, MacFarlane’s animated sitcom has often been accused of lifting the format laid-out by The Simpsons , which finally hit the big screen after almost 20 years on the air in 2007. But, when it comes to the move to celluloid, Macfarlane wants to learn from his predecessor’s mistakes.

“ The Simpsons Movie , I thought, was hilarious, but the one criticism I would have is that it’s a story they probably could’ve done on TV”, he said. “That’s the challenge with animation. You pretty much can do any story you want, so what is the reason for the movie? We finally hit on the answer to that question, and it will be something that would be impossible to do on TV.”

Trying not to give too much away, a coy Macfarlane added, “I can’t tell you what that this”.

So what, the mind wonders, could “that” be?

Despite constantly being harangued by petitions from the easily offended calling for the show to be dropped from the schedules, Family Guy has built its huge fan base on no-holds-barred crudity.

Does Macfarlane plan to go even further? What depths of sick-joke depravity will Family Guy: The Movie unleash?

Only time will tell. But one thing’s for certain - it’s sure to be a massive hit.

MacFarlane’s 2012 directorial debut, Ted , was a summer box office smash. But choosing to affect the same Bostonian brogue for his pothead teddy bear as he usually does for Family Guy patriarch Peter Griffin, only reminded fans of the animated movie that wasn’t.

A filmic Family Guy romp could make the $200m-odd Ted made look like chump change.