Trey Parker and Matt Stone have said sorry. The South Park creators issued a public apology on September 9, 2026, for the repeated delays to their musical comedy film with Kendrick Lamar, known by the working title Whitney Springs. The movie was first announced in 2022, but it still has no release date after being pulled from Paramount’s schedule in November 2025. Parker and Stone told The Ankler they take “full responsibility” and still believe in the project.
The Apology from Trey Parker and Matt Stone
The statement arrived through The Ankler on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Parker and Stone did not hold back on blaming themselves.
“We take full responsibility for the schedule delay of this movie,” Parker and Stone said. “We apologize to our partners at pgLang and Paramount, and we appreciate their patience. South Park and life’s circumstances have gotten in the way, but we still believe in the project.”
The apology was directed at Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang company and Paramount Pictures. Representatives for Paramount, Parker, and Stone did not respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets.
Why Whitney Springs Keeps Getting Delayed
The film has had a rough road. Whitney Springs was first announced in January 2022. Paramount picked up the project after executives visited Parker and Stone’s Park County offices in 2021 to read the script.
The original release date was July 4, 2025. That was pushed to March 20, 2026 in March 2025, right before the Paramount-Skydance merger was finalized. By November 2025, the film was removed from Paramount’s release schedule entirely.
A joint statement from Park County and pgLang in November 2025 said, “It’s true – we’re moving (again). We’re working hard at finishing the movie.”
What Whitney Springs Is About
The film is a musical comedy that deals with reparations for slavery. The story follows a young Black man who works as a slave reenactor at a historical plantation museum in the Midwest. He clashes with tourists and fights with the town’s racist mayor, who is played by Trey Parker himself.
The original logline described the film as a story about “the past and present coming to a head when a young Black man who is interning as a slave re-enactor at a living history museum discovers that his white girlfriend’s ancestors once owned his.”
Vernon Chatman, a longtime South Park writer, wrote the screenplay. Trey Parker directs, while Matt Stone, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free produce through Park County and pgLang.
Kendrick Lamar’s Unreleased Music
One of the biggest draws of Whitney Springs is Kendrick Lamar’s involvement. The Grammy-winning rapper recorded several original, unreleased songs for the film. These tracks have not been heard by the public because the movie has not come out.
Lamar’s role goes beyond producing. The film is described as a music-driven comedy. The pgLang co-founder has been attached to the project since the beginning, working alongside Parker and Stone after their collaboration on Lamar’s 2022 music video for “The Heart Part 5.”
The $100 Million Investment Sitting on the Shelf
Paramount has a lot of money tied up in this film. The Ankler reported that the studio committed more than $100 million to the project through a deal called a negative pickup, where the creators keep whatever is left from the budget after expenses.
Sources gave different numbers. One insider put the total cost at $150 million. Another source familiar with the deal terms said it was between $70 million and $80 million.
At CinemaCon in April 2024, then-Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins called the script “one of the funniest and most original scripts we’ve ever read.” Robbins left his role during the Paramount-Skydance merger that put David Ellison in charge as chairman and CEO.
What Fans Are Saying
Reactions to the delay have been mixed. Some fans are frustrated that the film keeps getting pushed back. Others have raised concerns about the film’s subject matter. One X user wrote, “Love me some kdot but there comes a point. I’m so TIRED of black trauma media it’s not even funny.” Another user agreed, writing, “y’all not tired of being sold black trauma?”
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South Park Season 29 Arrives This Week
South Park fans will not have to wait for new content from Parker and Stone. Season 29 premieres on September 16, 2026. The long-running Comedy Central show recently won its sixth Emmy for best animated series.
Parker and Stone also recently changed the show’s name to “South America” in a jab at Donald Trump. A statement from the duo said, “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to South America.”
Seasons 27 and 28 came after a two-year hiatus and included Donald Trump as a major antagonist. The show has continued to target the president even between seasons.
Also Read: South Park Season 29 Release Dates, Schedule, and Story Details You Need to Know
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