Excellent… (twiddles fingers together, evily). A rumor that was dropped a few months ago has been suddenly verified today. Today, filmmaker Boots Riley (“Sorry To Bother You”) has confirmed he’ll be adapting Anne Washburn’s apocalyptic Off-Broadway dark comedy “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” into a movie.
In November, a user on Twitter wrote, “Theater Twitter: I’m here to let you all know that Anne Washburn dropped the announcement that Mr. Burns is being developed into a film by boots riley in her playbill bio for burning cauldron of fiery fire,” and today, Riley confirmed the news with a simple, “This is a true thing” response and attested it would be a feature-length movie.
READ MORE: SXSW 2026: Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ To Open SXSW Film & Television Festival
In the play from Washburn, with music from Michael Friedman, which debuted back in 2012, survivors of an apocalypse gather around a campfire, trying to remember and retell “The Simpsons” episode “Cape Feare”—an obvious parody of the Martin Scorsese version of “Cape Fear.” Within the dark comedy genre, the Springfield family goes into hiding as the Thompsons after Sideshow Bob is released from prison and threatens Bart’s life.
A logline for the play via the University of British Columbia reads:
In the near future, after the collapse of society as we know it, survivors gather around a campfire, trying to recall the “The Simpsons” episode “Cape Feare” in search of solace and entertainment. As time passes, that half-remembered episode, plus other fragments of pop culture, becomes the unlikely foundation for new forms of performance and a means of preserving the memory of a world long gone. Blending dark comedy, music, and theatrical experimentation, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, is a uniquely imaginative exploration of pop culture, storytelling, and what endures.
Washburn is a Guggenheim fellowship recipient and ‘Mr. Burns’ was praised by The New York Times as “downright brilliant” in 2013. She is also known for plays like “A Devil at Noon” and “Sleep Rock Thy Brain.”
Riley is known for the sci-fi dark comedy “Sorry to Bother You” (2018), the surreal limited series “I’m a Virgo” (2023) and his latest film, “I Love Boosters,” will premiere this Spring at the 2026 SXSW Film & Television Festival.
We should note: “No, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” was not officially authorized or sanctioned by Fox or the producers of “The Simpsons,” so it’s very possible that Riley either has that worked out already or feels relatively confident he’ll gain approval (it would seem odd to announce it on social media without consent, but stranger things have happened).
Presumbly if this happens, it’s a little bit of a ways off as Riley a musical play adaptation is never simple and the filmmaker has ‘Boosters’ to promote at SXSW in March and then for its theatrical release, via Neon, in May (May 22 to be specific).
Either way, it sounds ambitious and outré, and therefore right up Riley’s alley.
This is a true thing. https://t.co/V3sH0o9292
— Boots Riley (@BootsRiley) January 11, 2026
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