Sixteen years after the initial movie’s debut, the director of “Trick ‘r Treat 2” gives an update on the follow-up. Before helming “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” Michael Dougherty started his directing career in 2007 with an anthology horror film that starred a masked antagonist named Sam.
Starring in the movie were actors Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. It did not have a theatrical distribution, but it was praised by critics, gained a cult following, and helped its director go on to more ambitious and important projects.
A positive update on the much-awaited sequel to “Trick ‘r Treat,” which was released sixteen years ago, has been given by Michael Dougherty. The project is still under development, the director disclosed in a Collider interview. He said they had written several draughts of the script and made storyboards and concept art for the movie.
Rumors of Trick ‘r Treat 2 were in the news for ages
When Dougherty first brought up the concept of a “Trick ‘r Treat” sequel in 2009, he made it clear that no work was in progress at the moment. A big update came in 2013 when the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly that Legendary was indeed making a sequel and that he hoped it would be released in theaters this time.
Additionally, he shared his idea to produce several follow-ups practically every year, resulting in a continuous run of Halloween tales featuring the well-known figure Sam.
Unfortunately, development on the eagerly awaited sequel has moved painfully slowly. Attendees at Beyond Fest were informed by Dougherty in 2022 that a sequel to Trick ‘r Treat was still in development and that Legendary was still committed to the project.
A year later, the director is back with more good news, but he is appropriately circumspect when outlining the project’s current state. He indicated that there had been some delays due to the current WGA strike. The anthology-style horror film directed by Dougherty, which debuted on DVD, has developed a cult following over the years, so it’s very probable that fans of the genre would welcome a follow-up.
For Legendary, this makes “Trick ‘r Treat 2” a financially viable option.
Dougherty words on Trick ‘r Treat 2
While he was making the first movie, Dougherty had the initial idea to turn the “Trick ‘r Treat” premise into a series. From his early years, when Halloween and horror movies were closely related, he felt that October should be a month dedicated to Halloween or horror films.
His original plan was to make a new “Trick ‘r Treat” film year or every other year, with a new cast of actors and a new collection of storylines, all linked by the character Sam. But because of the first film’s unusual and protracted trip, this plan had to wait. He’s eager to go back and explore that original idea now.
‘Trick ‘r Treat’s Sam’s first appearance
Through his YouTube account, Dougherty just released the original short film in which the character Sam first appeared.
The 1996 short film “Season’s Greetings” is a four-minute, terrifying film that follows Sam on his failed attempt at trick-or-treating in a haunting neighborhood where children have vanished and eerie dolls are strewn over the sidewalks. An enigmatic adult figure starts pursuing Sam as he walks the streets, ultimately cornering him in a deserted, dark alley.
This results in a violent encounter, and people who are unfamiliar with Sam may find it easy to feel sympathy for him at first. But as it turns out, he is the one who caused the damage, and the adult figure ends up unconscious—or perhaps dead—in Sam’s candy bag, proving that he is not the victim.
In the latter moments of the short clip, Sam’s eyes take on a demonic appearance as he smiles menacingly. This silent, marker-colored short film has a surprising amount of power and shows that Dougherty was already writing sophisticated holiday tales before “Trick ‘r Treat.” It also emphasizes how Sam had the potential to become a legendary character in the horror genre from the very beginning.
Almost fifteen years after its first release, “Trick ‘r Treat” continues to have a lasting effect on both its fans and the horror genre. In a field full of reboots and remakes, Michael Dougherty’s work stands apart, so it makes perfect sense that fans are itching for more.
The longer production period may even be advantageous in the long run since it will guarantee that the sequel is released on schedule and following a careful and deliberate creative process. “Trick ‘r Treat 2” is expected to live up to the high standards set by its extended media despite the high bar it must reach.
