Boots Riley Tackles Post-Apocalyptic Simpsons in New Film
A bold new take on The Simpsons is on the way, with Boots Riley set to direct a post-electric adaptation where the iconic cartoon becomes the stuff of legend after society collapses.
There’s a fresh spin on The Simpsons heading to the big screen, but it’s not what most punters would expect. While a follow-up to The Simpsons Movie is slated for 2027, another project is quietly brewing that takes the familiar yellow family into much darker territory. Instead of the usual laughs and antics, this new film drops the world of Springfield into a bleak, post-electric future, where the only pop culture to survive is Matt Groening’s long-running animated series.
Filmmaker Boots Riley, best known for Sorry to Bother You and the offbeat superhero yarn I’m a Virgo, has confirmed he’ll be at the helm of this adaptation. Riley took to X (formerly Twitter) to let fans know,
This is a true thing.
From Stage to Screen: A Dark Comedy Reimagined
The story is based on Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, a darkly comic stage production by Anne Washburn with music by Michael Friedman. First performed off-Broadway in 2012, the play imagines a world where electricity has vanished and society has slipped back into the dark ages. In this setting, a travelling theatre troupe keeps spirits up by performing old episodes of The Simpsons for scattered survivors. Their main act? A retelling of the classic “Cape Feare” episode from season five, where Sideshow Bob is out for revenge on Bart.
The play picked up a Drama League Award nomination and was met with critical praise. The Guardian even gave it a glowing five-star review, highlighting its clever look at how storytelling sticks with us, no matter what. The show uses the familiar faces from Springfield to explore how stories and culture can shift and morph over time, even when the world’s gone to the dogs and old habits like capitalism and consumerism refuse to die.
Survival, Storytelling, and the Enduring Power of Pop Culture
The official blurb for the play asks,
What will endure when the cataclysm arrives—when the grid fails, society crumbles, and we’re faced with the task of rebuilding? Anne Washburn’s imaginative dark comedy is an animated exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another.
Riley’s previous work has always had a sharp eye for the way money and consumer culture shape our lives, so it’s no surprise he’s been tapped for this project. His style seems a perfect fit for a story that’s as much about what we remember as it is about what we lose.
The Simpsons: From TV Staple to Post-Apocalyptic Legend
Since its debut on 17 December 1989, The Simpsons has become a fixture of pop culture, with a huge cast of writers, directors, and voice actors keeping the show fresh for decades. Now, with this new adaptation, the cartoon’s legacy is set to take on a whole new meaning—one where the lines between entertainment and myth are well and truly blurred.