Star Wars

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Bart and Lisa breaking into the Kosmic Kruiser hotel.(Fox Flash)

It looks like the Simpsons, or at least two of them, are heading to a parody version of Disney’s ill-fated Star Wars hotel in an upcoming episode. As you can see in the above promo image, Bart and Lisa are breaking into an abandoned hotel clearly inspired by Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, an immersive hotel at Disney World that was meant to simulate a cruise ship in outer space. It closed in 2023, just a year after it opened.

Video essayist Jenny Nicholson, whose four hour YouTube video documenting her stay aboard “the Halcyon” with her sister led to writeups in the New York Times and Rolling Stone, is guest-starring in the episode, as is Westworld actor Jimmi Simpson, which makes sense considering his last name.

The episode, “The Kosmic Krusier,” airs on Fox on November 8. Here’s Fox’s description for the episode, as well as more preview images:

Bart and Lisa break into Krustyland’s most notorious failed attraction, only to discover that it hasn’t been completely abandoned […] Guest Voice Cast: Jenny Nicholson as KIT-10/Robotic Voice, Jimmi Simpson as Don Jeffries/Man

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RIP

A promotional image for Lisa's First Word featuring the Simpson family gathered around Maggie, who appears to be about to speak. There is an inset of James Earl Jones.

James Earl Jones, the voice of Maggie Simpson, died yesterday at the age of 93.

Jones was a titan of the stage and screen whose prolific acting career spanned decades, including such films as Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Hunt for Red October, Coming to America, and Field of Dreams, television work including Sesame Street, Gabriel’s Fire, the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, and the television movie The Man, as well as the plays Fences and The Great White Hope. His trademark commanding baritone made him a natural for voiceover work, including his best-known roles as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, Mufasa in The Lion King, and the guy who says “This… is CNN.” Jones received many awards and accolades over the years, including three Tony Awards, two Emmys, a Grammy, a lifetime achievement Oscar, and a Disney Legends award.

Jones voiced the iconic role of Maggie Simpson in the “Time and Punishment” segment of “Treehouse of Horror V.” [CNN]