'The Exorcist' Director William Friedkin To Appear On 'The Simpsons' Halloween Special

Who better to cameo in The Simpsons' annual "Treehouse of Horror" special than one of the masters of horror himself?

William Friedkin, the director of the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, will make a cameo in the Fox animated show's annual horror special, "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII."TV Line reports that Friedkin will voice Dr. Kenneth Humphries in one of the special's segments titled "MMM... Homer," which finds Homer "cannibalizing himself after he runs out of food while Marge and the kids are away from home." Maybe Humphries will discover that some demonic force is what compels Homer to engage in these destructive eatings habits?

Friedkin won an Academy Award for directing 1971's The French Connection before getting nominated two years for The Exorcist. His 1973 tale of demonic possession is considered one of the most influential films of all time, setting the groundwork for many modern horror movies that followed it. With Friedkin lending his voice to the "Treehouse of Horror" episode, it's likely that the chapter he stars in will reference one of the film's many iconic moments. Maybe the head-spinning scene to the priest falling down those steep outdoor stairs?

But then again, the 29th "Treehouse of Horror" may save one of those Exorcist homages to its other chapter with Exorcist ties. Ben Daniels, who plays Father Marcus in Fox's currently airing Exorcist series, will appear in the chapter titled "Exor-sis."

The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" has become a horror staple in its own right, eschewing the long-running animated series' 30-minute narratives for short three-part segments that veer from campy horror movie homages to creepy surrealism. The "Treehouse of Horror" episodes are known for being much darker than an average "Simpsons" episode, and has become a creative outlet for animators of the popular animated series to experiment and tell stories that divergeThe Simpsons season 29 will start on October 1, 2017. The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" episode will air Sunday, October 22 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.