The Big Picture
- Trick 'r Treat, a Halloween classic, overcame multiple delays before becoming a cult favorite and exciting property for Legendary Pictures.
- Director Michael Dougherty has long had plans for a sequel, and it's finally in active development with the original production team and new enemy for Sam.
- Dougherty's original short film featuring Sam showcases his talent for twisty holiday stories and the potential for Sam to become a horror icon. The franchise has also expanded into comic books, further cementing Sam's place in Halloween lore.
‘Tis the season to remember the little horror film that could. Overcoming an infinite number of delays that could’ve shelved the movie indefinitely, Michael Dougherty’s Trick 'r Treat quickly became a Halloween classic. Originally slated to be released on October 2007, the film was pushed back one time, back a second time, and back some more. It had a limited release in several festival screenings between December 2007 and August 2009, but the world finally got to know this masterpiece after its home media release in October 2009. Its four-story narrative, which is tied up in the end, makes it the Love Actually of Halloween season with a much better execution. Since its release, much speculation has focused on if and when a sequel will happen. Here’s a bit of what’s been said, what we know, and how to quench your thirst for more of Sam’s – the adorable pajama-wearing jack-o-lantern demon – adventures.
Director Michael Dougherty Has Plans for ‘Trick ’r Treat 2’
As soon as a week after Trick ’r Treat was released, Dougherty revealed to MTV he already had ideas for a sequel, and even how it’s supposed to end. Three years later, in a 2012 call with Bloody Disgusting, Dougherty cryptically stated that though the film wasn’t in active development, it didn’t mean it wasn’t on the horizon. At the time he also thanked fans for their very vocal support, indicating that spreading the word and building up the fanbase could eventually make the sequel a reality. A year later, Dougherty made the first official confirmation of Trick 'r Treat 2 at Beyond Fest 2013 in Los Angeles. The key to getting to this point was Legendary Pictures fully supporting its development, unlike Warner Bros.’ lack of faith in the first film. But the sequel faced yet another setback, with Legendary Pictures’ management changes putting it on hold (more like development limbo), not unlike Hellboy 3’s obstacles with the production company.
By 2019, ten years after the original movie’s release, Dougherty jokingly stated how being asked about Trick ’r Treat 2 had become his new Halloween tradition. The film gained a cult following since day one, and it has reflected on streaming numbers as well as the expanded merchandise like comic books and toys. This obviously makes it a profitable property for Legendary Pictures, who still owns the rights. But at the same time, Dougherty shared his thoughts on this being some kind of message to not franchising it or spinning it off as it’s been done with many others. Perhaps Trick ’r Treat’s uniqueness lies in it being a one-time experience without further dilution of the concept.
Michael Dougherty Gave Collider Details About ‘Trick 'r Treat 2’
Flash-forward to 2022, the property gained momentum again with the first ever wide release of Trick 'r Treat in cinemas. That same year, Dougherty’s Halloween tradition took another turn, with him confirming the film was in “very active development” at Beyond Fest 2022, but also being cautious in clarifying it hadn’t been officially greenlit yet. This year, while attending Collider’s own Scary Perri’s Horror Series, Dougherty revealed more information about the long-awaited sequel. Among the new details where Sam is set to face a new enemy that would rival Brian Cox’s Scrooge-y Kreeg. With Dougherty being expected to return to the director’s chair, he plans to bring back the original production team, as well as Krampus co-writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields. Though the news bring hope again to the film’s fans, we still have to be cautious with our hopes. In the meantime, there are other ways to get original stories featuring Sam in differently engaging settings.
‘Trick 'r Treat's Sam First Appeared in a Short
Dougherty shared through his YouTube channel the original short in which Sam appeared for the very first time. Eerily-named Season’s Greetings, the 1996 four-minute short sees Sam unsuccessfully trick-or-treating through a spooky neighborhood where children have gone missing and creepy dolls are abandoned on the streets. A mysterious adult figure stalks him while he strolls through the streets, cornering him in an empty dark alley. Violence ensues and, if this is your first time meeting Sam, you might feel sorry for him. But reality is he’s no victim, as we discover he’s the one who landed the punches and the figure now lays unconscious (or probably dead?) inside Sam’s candy bag. A last shot shows Sam smiling and his eyes taking a demonic appearance. The no-dialogue marker-colored short is extremely effective, showing how Dougherty had the ability to truly master his twisty holiday stories since way before Trick 'r Treat, and how Sam, since his conception, had the potential of becoming a horror icon.
Many iconic franchises have found a life beyond the screen in the form of comic books, and Trick 'r Treat is also (fortunately) one of them. Not only was the film was adapted into a four-issue series, but it also received prequel tales that shed some light on Sam’s origins in Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead. The four-issue limited series tells the stories of a European woman accused of witchcraft who spreads the seeds of Halloween even after her death, a pilgrim girl who learns the ways of Native Americans after facing the greatest of betrayals, a 1950s private detective facing past demons and new mysteries, and the story of two friends’ last Halloween together while being temporarily turned into monsters. All of these stories are set in the past, and all of them show Sam as an integral part of Halloween lore, cementing him as a timeless being who’s in charge of keeping the holiday’s traditions.
The undeniable effect Trick 'r Treat had on its fans and the horror genre in general can still be felt almost 15 years after its release. Dougherty’s work shines in an ocean of remakes and revivals, and it’s totally understandable that the world wants more of it. Truth is, it might be for the best it has taken so long for the sequel to come to fruition, as this may guarantee its release should come in the right time and after a carefully crafted development process. Trick 'r Treat 2 has some big shoes to fill but, if the expanded media serves as any indication, it should live up to expectations.
Trick 'r Treat is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
