‘Rick and Morty’ season 4 release date: New episodes unlikely before 2019

The fourth season of "Rick and Morty" is unlikely to air before late 2019, according to a writer of Adult Swim's acclaimed animated series. Fans had to wait nearly two years between the second and third seasons.

After the second season aired between July and October of 2015, "Rick and Morty" season 3 made an impromptu debut on April Fools' Day last year. The season wrapped up with the hilarious "The Rickchurian Mortydate" episode on Oct. 2.

According to Ryan Ridley, a writer on the show, co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have yet to lay the groundwork for the fourth instalment of "Rick and Morty."

“They really take their time. I never understood why everybody -- all parties, Dan (Harmon), Justin (Roiland), and Adult Swim -- didn’t get their shit together, and make the show fast. I just don’t get it. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m sure they all have their reasons," Ridley told the Detroit Cast in an interview.

Rick and Morty season 4 release date: Another lengthy delay?

Ridley pointed out that the script for "Rick and Morty" season 3 was finished in Nov 2016 but the show didn't premiere until summer of 2017. Since wrapping up production on the third season, Ridley and the rest of the writing crew have been inactive.

"I know how long this show takes to write, let alone animate. I’d be surprised if there was a fourth season on the air anytime sooner than 2019… late 2019. Get your shit together, you guys. Get it all together, and put it in a backpack," Ridley added.

Dan Harmon cited creative differences with Justin Roiland as the primary reason for the lengthy delay between seasons 2 and 3. During a chat with Entertainment Weekly in September, Harmon said he was "about to do" the fourth season of the show.

“I want to prove it with the first 10 (episodes) of season four -- prove it to ourselves, to production, to the network -- that it’s so easy that we’ll earn additional episodes. Because I never got this far (working on NBC’s) Community. I fell apart in season three of Community and got fired in season four. Now I’m about to do season four of Rick and Morty and want to prove that I’ve grown.”

Rick and Morty season 4 release date: Late 2019?

"Rick and Morty" season 4 is expected to air sometime in late 2019, according to Ryan Ridley, a writer on the show. However, there is still no official update from Adult Swim or Don Harmon.