“The Book of Life” writer/director/animator/actor Jorge Gutierrez is putting his spin on the opening to this Sunday’s annual “Treehouse of Horror” edition of “The Simpsons.” Gutierrez and composer Juan Carlos Enriquez have put together an intro/couch gag to “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” (or in this case “El Treehouse del Horror XXXV”) that includes a version of the Jarabe Tapatío with Día de los Muertos and lucha libre-style imagery. Scroll below to watch.
The opening, features stylized versions of Bart Simpson and Otto rocking out, Marge and Lisa taking down Jailbird, Bart facing off with Krusty the Clown, a Maggie-operated Homer going after a Smithers-led Burns and Bumblebee Man smashing Sideshow Bob (as Comic Book Guy wears a T-shirt that proclaims “Worst Intro Ever”). Finally we see that it has all been controlled by aliens Kang and Kodos, who have been playing a game of “Los Simpsons Fighter!”
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“I’ve been a huge ‘Simpsons’ fan ever since Bart first appeared in my beloved Tijuana in the classic ‘Kamp Krusty’ episode,” Gutierrez said. “I’m forever grateful to [executive producer] Matt Selman and [creator] Matt Groening for giving me the honor to direct my own passionate (and bloody!) animated love letter to the show that inspired me to dream of making cartoons one day. Now, I can die with a huge smile on my face. ¡VIVA LOS SIMPSONS!”
Enriquez, meanwhile, explained the use of the music of “El Jarabe Tapatío,” which he noted originated in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, in the 19th century. He gives it a modern twist on the “Treehouse of Horror” opening.
“For this special intro I arranged and produced a punk/rock version of the famous folk Mexican melody of the Jarabe Tapatío, commonly known as the Mexican Hat Dance, blended with some vibrant corrido-style brass lines,” he said. “We also kickstarted the opening with the iconic ‘Simpsons’ intro melody, but Jorge, our producer Tim Yoon and I sang it in Spanish like a Mexican bolero trio at an old cantina.”
He added that as a composer, “what I love about collaborating with amazing artists like Jorge is that he has a very clear vision and entrusts you with a musical challenge that usually involves putting together a unique colorful blend of elements, but then gives you complete creative freedom during the production process and encourages you to experiment and make it your own.”
Selman revealed Gutierrez’s open during this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, when he also teased additional elements of “Treehouse of Horror XXXV.” Here’s this episode’s logline: “Giant monsters created by political rage threaten to tear the town apart, a Victorian Mr. Burns is jump-scared on Thanksgiving by the ghosts of his abused workers, and Homer bonds with a pair of extra-terrestrial jeans in an unforgettable stop-motion adventure that can only be called… Denim”
In the case of “Denim,” Selman told Variety this summer that the segment centers on Homer’s “deep relationship with a simple alien symbiotic pair of jeans. It’s a really funny, silly segment about the jeans are going to be actual actual stop motion denim created by the Stoopid Buddies animators that do the ‘Robot Chicken’ shows.”
Also during the panel, Selman asked the audience to screams — and promised the recording would be recorded for use in the “Treehouse” episode. The “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” episode of “The Simpsons” airs Sunday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. on Fox, but that’s not it for the spooky storylines this season.
A “second scary trilogy” the following week will focus on a trio of stories inspired by Ray Bradbury. Dubbed “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” Selman said the stories will be “dark and funny and in the Halloween spirit.”
Here’s the opening to “Treehouse of Horror XXXV”:
And more photos from this year’s episode:
