Without a doubt, the longest-running animated comedy series in the U.S. history, The Simpsons, arguably stood the test of time due to its humorous one-liners that made it a TV mainstay. And, of course, its annual Treehouse of Horror parodies are one of its key assets, and they're going all out for Season 34's Halloween special by giving viewers double the specials, with an entire episode dedicated to one of Stephen King's classic characters: the evil dancing clown, Pennywise.
The first of its kind, The Simpsons' executive producer, Matt Selman, revealed via Variety that the Halloween-themed special would dedicate one whole episode to all things It and Pennywise:
"We’ve never done a single fantastical, bloody, scary, dark story, told over the scope of the 20 minutes and 40 seconds that is an episode. I think the fans are going to be really excited. Certainly the tattoos already exist of Krusty as Pennywise. So we’re just writing towards the tattoos now. You want as many tattoo worthy moments in your episodes as you can."
Although the announcement marks the animated show's first-time, it is not King's first to get a tribute from the yellow-filled family's yearly special. Back in 1994, The Simpsons released a segment inspired by King's The Shining. And apart from the show's first time to release a runtime dedicated to only one genre's classic, it is also their first to release a double-dose of specials. Selman also teased that the other episode will also include Death Note, as well as two other segments that the writers have not yet revealed.
"So I really think people are gonna freak out over that. We’re not trying to take on every single anime, it’s an unbelievably rich and diverse genre within itself. We’re not trying to do 20 shows and scoop it all into six minutes. It’s just one beloved thing, this show Death Note," Selman shared.
Released in 1986, King's It is a horror novel about a group of seven kids called The Losers Club, haunted by an evil creature that preys on its victims' fears and phobias. Tim Curry starred in the 1990 film adaptation. The most recent film adaptation was released in 2017 and 2019, starring Bill Skarsgård.
The Simpsons' new season premieres on September 25th. While there are no further details yet, fans are definitely looking forward to seeing The Simpsons bring Pennywise and The Losers Club to animation.