The Simpsons: First “Treehouse of Horror XXXIV” Details Released

Fox has released the official synopsis for The Simpsons‘ upcoming Treehouse of Horror XXXIV, the latest installment of the revered horror-comedy anthologies. As has often been the case, this one won’t actually air until after Halloween, but that hasn’t stopped fans from continuing to get excited about the Treehouse episode every year (remember when Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa invoked “Treehouse of Horror” in teasing the possibility of Afterlife With Archie-themed Halloween episodes?). The official synopsis features a Silence of the Lambs parody featuring a grown-up Lisa and Nelson, and another story in which Bart is turned into an NFT.

Here’s the official synopsis (with a hat-tip to Bloody Disgusting): In Treehouse of Horror XXXIV, “Bart is turned into an NFT and Marge must fight through the Blockchain to rescue him; Lisa turns to a murderer from her past; an outbreak transforms Springfielders into a plague of lazy, beer-loving oafs.”

It’s that second bit — Lisa turns to a murderer from her past — that’s apparently a Silence of the Lambs riff. One assumes that she will go to Sideshow Bob, giving Kelsey Grammer a second chance to reprise a character he’s played for decades after this week’s return of Frasier. 

You can see the Treehouse of Horror poster below.

The Simpsons‘s Treehouse of Horror specials have been among the most popular episodes in the show’s history, with special DVD releases collecting the early ones and the event being adapted into the long-running The Simpsons comics from Bongo. In a show where few changes to the status quo ever take hold, Treehouse of Horror is a chance to do weird things, change up animation styles, and explore alternate versions and timelines of the familiar characters from Springfield. Last season, in addition to a Bob’s Burgers crossover and a Death Note gag, The Simpsons actually had so much material for the Treehouse of Horror that they spun off one story into a full-episode, stand-alone parody of Stephen King’s It.

“We’ve never done a single fantastical, bloody, scary, dark story, told over the scope of the the 20 minutes and 40 seconds that is an episode,” executive producer Matt Selman told Variety at the time. “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.”

Treehouse of Horror XXXIV will air on November 5 on Fox. Prior Treehouse of Horror installments stream on Disney+.