Creator and voice actor Alex Hirsch says goodbye to the hit animated series, "Gravity Falls."
"There’s no easy way to say it so I’m just going to say it: Gravity Falls is coming to an end," Hirsch said.
Entertainment Weekly reported on Hirsch's announcement about the sad news. The 2-year-old Disney XD show will end after "40 episodes and 17 shorts." He thanked everyone for sticking with him and the series since its released in 2012.
"Growing up doesn't mean you have to grow up. Thanks to every Gravity Falls fan for taking a trip back to childhood with me #GravityFinale," Hirsch said in his tweet.
Growing up doesn't mean you have to grow up. Thanks to every Gravity Falls fan for taking a trip back to childhood with me #GravityFinale
— Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) November 21, 2015
"Gravity Falls" is about the adventures of teenage twin brother and sister Mabel and Dipper Pines. They were sent to their great-uncle Stan's mysterious hometown Oregon for the summer.
In a lengthy blog post on Tumblr, Hirsch confirmed that "Gravity Falls" will end after “Weirdmageddon II: Escape from Reality” and “Weirdmageddon III.” The two episodes of the three-part story arc will run for an hour as part of the series finale.
"The first thing to know is that the show isn’t being cancelled- it’s being finished," Hirsch said. "This is 100% my choice, and it's something I decided on a very long time ago."
Hirsch then revealed that he and his team were already set on ending it before the start of production of "Gravity Falls" Season 2. However, he added that people were hoping that Hirsch would change his decision. The voice actor expressed how important having a specific deadline for "Gravity Falls" is, which will only center on the twin's summer vacation. He believed that most potential series were made longer and began losing the essence of its originality.
He added: "But Gravity Falls was never meant to be a series that goes on and on forever. It’s meant to be an exploration of the experience of summer, and in a larger sense a story about childhood itself. The fact that childhood ends is exactly what makes it so precious- and why you should cherish it while it lasts."
According to Variety, Disney XD remained by Hirsch's side despite his final decision.
“Alex Hirsch had a masterful plan for the stories and characters of ‘Gravity Falls’ and, through 40 episodes and 17 shorts, he and a team of outstanding writers, artists and actors consistently delivered an inspired and unique story. Alex made the decision to conclude the story at this time, and while we’re disappointed we all won’t have the opportunity to explore more of the ‘Gravity Falls’ world, we respect his creative vision,” Disney XD said in a statement.
The outlet also reported that some of the people behind the production will be working on other Disney shows. It was also said that the channel will continue releasing daily re-runs of the past episodes.
Hirsch shared that he took a lot of all-nighters similar to those of Nasa employees while working on "Gravity Falls" for four years. However, he did not disclose about his future projects.
"I already have some very exciting opportunities lining up on the horizon after I take a good vacation. We’ll see!"
