When Neil Gaiman makes his return to The Simpsons, the acclaimed writer will provide the voice for a character who has never spoken before: Snowball V.

RELATED: Neil Gaiman to Voice Mystery Role on The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror

This season's annual "Treehouse of Horrors" episode will parody Gaiman's novel Coraline, with the author himself helping to Simpsons-ize the story. With the core Simpsons cast tackling most of the roles -- Marge as Coraline's mother and the Other Mother, Lisa as Coraline -- the role of the Cat falls to Snowball V, with Gaiman providing the feline's voice.

Speculation abounded when Gaiman initially announced that he would be returning to the series, though not as himself. "I am on the Simpsons 'Treehouse of Horror' this year," he tweeted. "I do not play myself this time. Instead I voice a character who has not spoken before." He quickly shot down a number of guesses, including Maggie who, as fans were quick to point out, has spoken several times over the years.

Gaiman's appearance on the series is part of the show's 29th season, which is due to premiere on Oct. 1, 2017. "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" is set to premiere on Oct. 22. "The Treehouse of Horror," which started in the show's second season, is The Simpsons' annual Halloween special. The name and concept was inspired by EC Comics horror tales.

Via EW