The Simpsons co-producer Mike Price has offered a glimpse into the 38th season of the long-running animated series, detailing the inspiration behind the season premiere and revealing plans for the upcoming "Treehouse of Horror" episode. The season kicked off with "The Children's Book Job," an episode written by Dan Vebber, which sees Homer Simpson experience a bizarre, children's book-inspired hallucination.
Price explained that the sequence, which features Homer transforming into a hippopotamus and traversing worlds reminiscent of classic children's literature, was conceived early in the writing process. The segment includes references to authors such as Eric Carle and Richard Scarry, as well as nods to books like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," "Iggy Peck, Architect," and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus." Characters like Moe and Principal Skinner were reimagined within these literary settings, appearing as the Stinky Cheese Man and Captain Underpants, respectively.
Looking ahead, Price confirmed that the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode will feature a stop-motion opening sequence created by Stoopid Buddy, inspired by "The Nightmare Before Christmas." He described the three segments within the Halloween special as varied, promising a mix of gore and scares.
The producer also discussed the season's overall approach, noting showrunner Matt Selman's encouragement of "format breaker" episodes alongside more traditional installments. He highlighted several upcoming storylines: one written by Cesar Mazariegos involves Moe’s dreams affecting those of the entire town, drawing parallels to the film "Dream Scenario" and romantic comedies of the 1980s, with Meg Ryan set to guest star. Another episode will focus on the Simpsons adopting a chimpanzee, leading to Homer's anxieties about the animal's potential behavior. Brian Kelley is credited with an episode centered on a mishap at Krustyland involving Krusty.
Additionally, a forthcoming episode will put Fat Tony in the spotlight. In this installment, the character, voiced by Joe Mantegna, takes on a role as a production consultant for a film reminiscent of "The Godfather." Owen Wilson is slated to guest star in this particular episode.