The Simpsons Creator Finally Breaks Silence on the Show’s Reputation for Predicting the Future

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Matt Selman, a writer for the popular animated series, is finally addressing the show’s surprising number of coincidences with real-world events. Over the years, many episodes have seemed to foreshadow things that later actually happened, leading people to wonder if the show was somehow ‘predicting’ the future.

In an interview with People, writer Al Jean explained that trying to deliberately predict future events—or avoid doing so—actually makes those predictions less accurate when writing The Simpsons. He said the best approach is to simply write the show without focusing on whether things might come true.

Selman pointed out that people have a deep desire to believe in magic. While he doesn’t think magic is literally real, he suggests it exists as a belief, and that’s enough. He emphasized that what’s truly remarkable isn’t the possibility of magic itself, but the fact that coincidences – genuinely unexpected events – do happen.

Selman hinted at a memorable scene in the 800th episode of The Simpsons, airing February 15th. The episode features Marge giving an emotional speech about the challenges and rewards of having pets.

This episode feels like the best work the show has ever done, capturing the honest and often painful look at modern life that co-creator James Brooks is known for. It’s really a tribute to James, to the show itself, and even to the special bond we have with our pets and characters like Marge. I’m incredibly proud of how it turned out.

For over thirty years, The Simpsons has become famous for seemingly predicting future events – everything from silly occurrences to serious ones, and often with surprising accuracy. Recent examples include correctly foreshadowing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris running as a political team, Donald Trump becoming president, and the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal.

I remember reading that back in 2024, the creator said they figured with all the jokes they’d written over the years, something was bound to land! He also explained that they really just write jokes based on the most outlandish ideas they can come up with.

What the Future Looks Like for The Simpsons

The popular animated series The Simpsons is still on TV, and a new movie is on the way! Originally announced in September 2025, the next Simpsons film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 23, 2027.

While we don’t know many specifics about the next Simpsons movie, it’s likely to be a huge hit. The previous film was very successful, earning over $536 million and receiving excellent reviews from both critics and viewers.

Recently, executive producer Matt Selman reassured fans that the team is working hard to keep the show feeling new and exciting. In 2025, he explained that their goal is to create stories that don’t feel like they’re from a show that’s been on for 37 seasons.

We also want to avoid creating episodes that feel repetitive or lack a unique voice, or that don’t really have anything meaningful to say. According to Sellman, one way to achieve this is to focus more on the residents of Springfield – exploring all their quirks, emotions, and experiences, both good and bad.

The 800th episode of The Simpsons airs on Sunday, Feb. 15, on Fox.

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2026-02-15 16:07