Rick and Morty returns in four weeks for its next adventure!

The season 9 finale of Rick and Morty is set to air on July 26, and fans should definitely stick around afterward for the premiere of the spinoff, President Curtis. The release date was revealed during a panel at the Annecy Festival, where showrunners Dan Harmon and James Siciliano shared insights into their creative process and hinted at some of the hurdles Curtis will encounter.

Siciliano mentioned that the concept for the spinoff originated from the season 5 episode “Rick & Morty’s Thanksploitation Spectacular,” in which Rick transforms into a turkey in an attempt to secure a pardon from President Andre Curtis (voiced by Keith David). This leads to a showdown with Curtis, who unveils the U.S. government’s stash of bizarre secrets.

“In the writers’ room, we decided that [Curtis] should be your fantasy president,” Harmon explained. “He’s like an 8th grader who dreams of being Batman. Think Bruce Wayne, but a bit less sharp.”

Harmon characterized the show as a blend of The X-Files and Community, with Curtis and his crew navigating the complexities of government while facing a variety of sci-fi and fantasy challenges. One episode will uncover a hidden prison for aliens, vampires, and other supernatural entities located in the Bermuda Triangle, while another will reveal that a powerful witch is held captive at Camp David, requiring presidents to perform rituals to keep her restrained.

“Rick’s kind of like a god, so sometimes it’s tough to create stakes for him since he can solve just about anything,” Siciliano noted. “It’s still sci-fi, strange, and action-packed, but we get to explore more down-to-earth scenarios.”