The Simpsons releases Nightmare Before Christmas stop-motion parody

The 37th annual Halloween special of The Simpsons, titled “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII,” features a custom stop-motion parody of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The sequence utilizes handmade puppets to blend characters from both universes: Bart Simpson appears as Jack Skellington, Homer as the two-faced Mayor, Marge as Sally, and Ned Flanders as Oogie Boogie.

Showrunner Matt Selman noted that the episode consists of three distinct segments. One segment parodies Holly Gramazio’s novel “The Husbands,” serving as a satire on the endless choices found in social media dating. Another segment combines elements of “Freaky Friday” with the horror of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary,” involving a body-swap scenario between Homer, Bart, and the family dog.

Sculptor Jim McKenzie, who worked on the crossover segment, highlighted the significance of using handmade techniques in an era of artificial intelligence.