This episode was advertised as featuring Ron Howard, in what would have been his third appearance on "The Simpsons" (his first two appearances can be found in Season Ten's "When You Dish Upon a Star", and Season Eleven's "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder"). Originally, the third act involved Homer getting all the kids in Howard's latest film, an "Gladiator"–like picture, hence the original title of the episode being "The Kids Stay In The Picture" (a play on the title of producer Robert Evans' "The Kid Stays in the Picture").