Simpsons boss teases Season 38 guests and movie update
"The Simpsons" returns Sunday, Sept. 27 on Fox with Season 38's "The Children's Book Job," starring Emma Thompson and Colin Jost. Boss Matt Selman also teased Treehouse of Horror XXXVII, Jack in the Box meal Easter eggs, and a movie set for Sept. 3, 2027 — key 8216the simpsons8217 boss season details.
Key Takeaways
- Season 38 opens Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. on Fox with "The Children's Book Job," then streams the next day on Hulu.
- Emma Thompson voices Constance Clavinger; Colin Jost appears as himself reading his children's book.
- Treehouse of Horror XXXVII (Oct. 25) includes a Nightmare Before Christmas mashup opener and Tiffany Haddish as a guest.
- Jack in the Box's Munchie Meal of Horror packs deep show Easter eggs; the new movie is written and due Sept. 3, 2027.
According to Variety, executive producer Matt Selman framed the premiere as a "love letter" to classic children's books, from Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to Richard Scarry and "Make Way for Ducklings."
Fans tracking Streaming & TV Alerts will find the episode mixes a PTA book-fair plot with Homer's side adventure across Springfield.
Who guests in the Season 38 premiere?
Thompson plays Constance Clavinger, a saucy British children's author invited to a benefit to save Springfield Elementary. Homer must get her from the airport to Marge's school book fair, "Get Him to the Greek" style, after she gets drunk at the airport bar.
Selman called Thompson a "bucket list" guest who "threw herself into it with full gusto." Jost appears as himself, reading his own children's book to an indifferent Springfield Elementary audience.
Dan Vebber wrote the episode; Matthew Nastuk directed. Selman said Vebber and co-executive producer Mike Price cooked up the story of two people thrown together who become friends, enemies, then friends again.
Homer, realizing he has ignored his family for a free phone game, tries to make up for it. One line Selman likes: Homer says children's books are a better parent than he'll ever be.
What Treehouse of Horror XXXVII spoilers did Selman share?
The Oct. 25 special opens with a "Simpsons"/"Nightmare Before Christmas" mashup from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. One segment riffs on Holly Gramazio's novel "The Husbands," with Homer emerging from the shed as different husbands for Marge — including Lenny or Kang and Kodos.
Tiffany Haddish guests as Marge's best friend in one reality, delivering dating lectures "kind of like" a rom-com sassy best friend. Another segment mixes "Freaky Friday" with "Pet Sematary": Homer accidentally kills Bart and the dog, buries them, and they return with switched bodies.
In the third, teenage Bart and Lisa learn evil-witch Patty and Selma trapped Homer in endless murderous Driver's Ed films after he vanished years ago.
Upcoming non-Halloween hours include "Diary of a Chimpy Kid" (Oct. 4), "The Kosmic Kruiser," and "Testing 1-2-3," which Selman said threads humor and empathy around neurodiversity.
What's in the Jack in the Box meal — and the movie update?
The Treehouse timing aligns with Jack in the Box's Munchie Meal of Horror and six glow-in-the-dark cups that sold out fast. Selman said cups hit eBay for $200 and joked the chain did not make enough.
Easter eggs include Bart's twin Hugo eating a Jack in the Box fish sandwich, gravestones for characters like Frank Grimes, and bullies dressed as the obscure 1970s Jack in the Box Bunch — Hamburgermeister, Onion Ring Thing, and Secret Sauce Agent.
Selman said the new movie is already written, may have a real title pending approval, and is slated for Sept. 3, 2027 after shifting from July 23. His working title remains "New Simpsons Movie," and he promised it will be "S tier."