MacFarlane has toyed with this idea for a number of years, and the show has done some direct-to-video specials. But it has also been a long time since he has discussed it. Now, he reveals, it’s basically a sure-thing.

“It’s just a matter of when,” MacFarlane said. “It’s hard to do that while you have the series going on at the same time; I think that’s why it took The Simpsons 20 seasons to figure out how to do it.”

After the blockbuster success of his R-rated stuffed-bear movie Ted this summer, MacFarlane is in a good place to start pushing whatever film projects he likes. And he revealed that he already has a story in place for Family Guy’s move to the big screen.

“We do know what the Family Guy movie will be. 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. There could’ve been an episode that had that plotline,” 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.”

Does that mean that the story is so epic, it transcends the small screen? Or that he is planning something so crass and rude that it’s not fit for the airwaves?

MacFarlane already said too much. “I can’t tell you what that is,” he said, to disappointed groans from the students. (EW.com)