‘The Simpsons’ Boss Explains 2026’s ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Inspirations: ‘The Husbands,’ ‘Freaky Friday’ & Stephen King

What’s this? It’s the 37th installment of The Simpsons‘ annual Halloween episode “Treehouse of Horror,” and we’re finally getting a stop-motion opening inspired by Tim Burton‘s 1993 animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas (composer Danny Elfman is responsible for creating both the Nightmare soundtrack and, in 1989, The Simpsons‘ theme song).

“I’m super excited,” admits Simpsons boss Matt Selman, who teases that the first story in this spooky installment is also a mashup, but of the literary type: “There’s this book called The Husbands [by Holly Gramazio] that burned through the writers’ room, about a woman whose husband goes up into the attic one day and comes back and is a completely different guy. Every time the guy goes up into the attic, he is a new guy.”

The Simpsons‘ version sees Marge (voiced by Julie Kavner) and Homer (Dan Castellaneta) early in their marriage. Homer, annoying Marge, goes into the shed and comes out as his coworker Lenny (Harry Shearer). She makes her way through a variety of alternate hubbies. In another reality, she gets to have a girl-talk scene with her BFF, Tiffany Haddish. “She ends up married to Jeff Probst [the Survivor host voices himself], who you would think would be a thousand times better than Homer. But then, you know, that’s part of the romance of the show,” admits Selman. “She can’t get Homer out of her mind.”

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“And it’s sort of a metaphor for dating in the social media era,” continues Selman. “Where there’s always more choices. There’s always another person. How do you know when to stop swiping right?”

Another story combines the movie Freaky Friday and Stephen King‘s Pet Cemetery, “where Homer accidentally kills the dog and Bart in a comical fashion, buries them both, and they come back, but swapped. We had a big argument in the writer’s room about how to refer to [the combo]: DogBart or BartDog. What makes more sense? Do you say soul first or body first?” laughs Selman.”Lisa [Yeardley Smith] and Homer have that same debate because we thought it was so entertaining.”

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Last but not least, Lisa and Bart (Nancy Cartwright), now teenagers, must save their dad from an evil Driver’s Ed film that witchy Patty and Selma (both Kavner) have imprisoned Homer in. “Their dad disappeared years ago and they realized that the evil witch versions of Patty and Selma trapped Homer in the driver’s ed murder film Dimension of Death,” Selman says.

Cue the cackling!

The Simpsons, “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII,” Sunday, October 25, 2026, 8/7c, Fox (Stream past “Treehouse of Horror” episodes on Disney+)