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The Simpsons Showrunner Thinks Removing Springfield Would “Destroy” Universal’s Parks
Universal’s Springfield might just be too iconic to ever leave — at least according to The Simpsons co-showrunner Matt Selman. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Selman made it clear that he’d be “shocked” if Universal ever lost the rights to The Simpsons and removed the long-running animated series from its parks in Orlando and Hollywood.
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“I would personally be shocked if The Simpsons did not continue at Universal,” Selman said. “It does not seem logical to me that they could close that, or that they would be so shortsighted to do that.”
While Disney technically owns the franchise after acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2019, Universal still operates The Simpsons Ride and the fully themed Springfield areas in both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. The deal between the two studios — struck before Disney’s acquisition — allows Universal to continue using the property in its parks for the time being.
Selman isn’t part of those licensing negotiations, but he didn’t mince words when speculating about the consequences if Universal ever had to close Springfield. “Think about it — what would they put there?” he said. “They’d have to close it down for what, two years? And build another area right in the middle of Universal? It would destroy them!”
Both Universal parks feature The Simpsons Ride, which opened in 2008 as a motion-simulator experience that takes guests on a chaotic journey through Krustyland. In 2013, Universal expanded the experience into full-fledged Springfield lands filled with fan-favorite spots like Krusty Burger, Lard Lad Donuts, Moe’s Tavern, and Cletus’ Chicken Shack. Orlando’s version even includes the spinning Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl ride.
Selman sang the area’s praises, calling it “fantastic” despite the attraction’s age. “The Springfield food court is amazing,” he said. “Cletus’s fried chicken on the bone is so good. The Krusty Burger is so good. The branding and level of Springfield specificity is fantastic.”
He also noted that the giant pink donut from Lard Lad remains one of the parks’ most profitable snacks: “They would walk away from the giant donut? Nothing is printing more money!”
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And while he doesn’t have the time to lead a new project, Selman couldn’t resist pitching one last idea — a Halloween Horror Nights tie-in. “It is insane that they never Treehouse-of-Horror-ified Universal for Halloween Horror Nights,” he said. “Why we didn’t spooky-ify it, when Treehouse of Horror is our most beloved thing — that seems like someone dropped the ball. Possibly me.”
For now, fans can breathe easy: there’s no indication Springfield is going anywhere soon. With its hilarious atmosphere, deep-cut Easter eggs, and food that rivals any land in the park, Selman’s comments echo what many theme-park fans have been saying for years: Springfield may be yellow, but it’s pure theme-park gold.
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