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Image via Legendary
Since its wide release in 2009, Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat has become one of the more beloved Halloween-themed horror films. The anthology horror comedy perfectly captured the spooky and oftentimes fun atmosphere of the season. However, unlike a franchise like Friday the 13th or Halloween, Trick ‘r Treat never received a proper sequel. It has solely been kept alive in the merchandising scene with the film’s lovable mascot Sam (the spirit of Halloween) being featured on t-shirts, seasonal decorations and costumes. Fans have been eagerly waiting for a sequel for over a decade and last Halloween Dougherty announced that a Trick 'r Treat 2 was finally in the works. Now, thanks to a new commentary track, the writer-director has given horror fans a sweet update on the sequel.
The original Trick ‘r Treat was just released on 4K this week ahead of Halloween thanks to Arrow Video. One of the new special features was an audio commentary moderated by Dead Meat’s James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca. While talking about the progress being made on the sequel, Dougherty revealed that Trick ‘r Treat 2 has already been storyboarded, and he co-wrote the film with his Krampus collaborators Todd Casey and Zach Shields.
The filmmaker would say, “It’s tricky, because I think we really did capture lightning in a bottle with this one, and it nearly killed me. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the bulk of our favorite horror movies, especially the ones that introduced new horror icons, were all independent movies.” He would give examples like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween before continuing on, “There aren’t the typical metrics that a studio can point to to make it an easy ‘yes.’ Something I was adamant about in the sequel was that it has to retain this nonlinear storytelling, [and] it has to retain that weird mix of horror and comedy.” Going further into the current state of the sequel Dougherty expressed:
“I want to do it. It’s not dead by any stretch. We have some momentum moving in the right direction for sure, but I’m also of the belief that I’m not going to compromise or make sacrifice just to make a sequel. It has the be under the right conditions with the right resources. Otherwise, I will be content with just letting this be this weird little movie that fought its way through a lot of adversity.”
Dougherty would finish by praising Trick 'r Treat 2, stating, “But I’m very, very happy with the script for the sequel.”
Sam Will Return to Haunt Halloween
While we are still a ways off from the sequel, Sam will return to enforce the “rules” of Halloween in the upcoming graphic novel anthology Trick ‘r Treat: Witching Hours. This will contain four brand-new stories. These are the first spooky tales haunting the universe in over a decade. One of the unique things that made the original film stand out was Sam. He was an adorable looking character with his orange onesie pajamas and potato sack mask that covered his pumpkin head. However, he took the holiday very seriously.
Things like always wearing a costume and never blow out your Jack ‘O Lantern before midnight on Halloween are just some of the rules the characters need to follow. Each story from Trick ‘r Treat was tied in some way to Sam’s rule book. At the same time, Dougherty crafted such an enjoyable love-letter to the season, covering everything from serial killers to tragic local ghost stories. Because of that, paired with the fact that Sam’s legend has never been stronger, it’ll be exciting to see what Dougherty has up his sleeve for Trick ‘r Treat 2.
Where Can You Stream ‘Trick ‘r Treat’?
Trick ‘r Treat is currently streaming on Max. However, if you want to watch the original film on physical media, you can find details about the 4K disc now on Arrow's website. The trailer for Trick ‘r Treat can be viewed below. If that’s not enough Halloween-goodness, you can also read more about why Trick ‘r Treat 2 has been taking so long to make here.
Trick 'r Treat
Trick 'r Treat intertwines four Halloween-themed stories, exploring a high school principal's hidden life as a serial killer, a college virgin's encounter with a mysterious suitor, a group of teenagers executing a cruel prank, and a reclusive old man facing an unexpected visitor, all unfolding in a chilling narrative.
Release Date November 27, 2015
Director Michael Dougherty
Runtime 1hr 22
Writers Michael Dougherty
Character(s) Mr. Kreeg , Sam / Peeping Tommy , Laurie , Steven , Emma , Henry , Maria , Macy , Janet , Danielle , Charlie , Schrader , Chip , Alex , Mrs. Henderson , Sara , Rhonda , Billy , Allie , Nathan , Clerk , Centaur Girl , Centaur Guy , Mother , Reporter , Bud The Cameraman , Bud's Assistant
English (US) ·