Springfield is getting a stop-motion Halloween makeover as The Simpsons pays tribute to The Nightmare Before Christmas in the opening of this year’s “Treehouse of Horror” episode.
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Meets ‘The Simpsons’
Entertainment Weekly debuted the spooky sequence, which transforms Bart into Jack Skellington, Marge into Sally, Homer into Halloween Town’s two-faced Mayor, Ned Flanders into Oogie Boogie, and many other recognizable stars from the Simpsons cast into familiar characters from Tim Burton’s holiday classic. The intro score spoofs “This Is Halloween,” with music by Bleeding Fingers.
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the studio behind Robot Chicken, created the animation. According to Animation World Network, production took approximately three months, divided between preparation, filming, and post-production. The team used hand-sculpted puppets, with sets constructed from cardboard and foam.
Studio co-founder John Harvatine IV explained that the filmmakers drew from The Nightmare Before Christmas for the lighting, movement, and character designs. They even adjusted the Springfield residents’ familiar yellow coloring toward blue to better suit the setting.
The sequence introduces “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII,” which premieres Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX, with streaming available the following day on Hulu. The episode’s three stories focus on Marge’s marriage, a frightening adventure involving Bart and Santa’s Little Helper, and Homer’s driving lesson.
Watch the stop-motion opening below:
For more Springfield stories, check out Matt Selman’s tease of potential “Treehouse of Horror” offerings at Universal Studios, beginning with food and potentially expanding into experiences.
Which Springfield resident has your favorite The Nightmare Before Christmas makeover? Let us know on social media!
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