Trick ‘r Treat Trailer: Halloween Classic Comes to Theaters

During the spookiest time of the year, there are a few guidelines all ghosts and goblins should follow. Always stay on the sidewalks. Never go to a stranger’s house. Never go out alone. Always check your candy. And watch Trick ‘r Treat, the cult-classic Halloween horror favorite from director Michael Dougherty, on the big screen. The anthology of October 31st-set stories — weaved together by the burlap sack-clad pumpkin-headed trick-or-treater Sam (Quinn Lord), the killer keeper of All Hallows’ Eve traditions — is coming to theaters for the first time on select dates this October. Watch the theatrical trailer from Legendary Pictures below.

Released direct-to-DVD in 2009 after select screenings at film festivals between 2007 and 2009, Trick ‘r Treat marked the directorial debut of Dougherty (Krampus, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the upcoming HBO Hellraiser series). Featuring a cast that includes Dylan Baker (the Spider-Man trilogy), Anna Paquin (X-Men), Leslie Bibb (Iron Man), and Brian Cox (Succession), the Halloween anthology is regarded as a seasonal fan-favorite.

In Trick ‘r Treat, interwoven stories demonstrate that some traditions are best not forgotten as the residents of a small town (Baker, Paquin, Bibbs, Cox) face real ghosts and goblins on Halloween. Tales of terror reveal the consequences of extinguishing a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight and a grumpy hermit’s encounter with a mischievous trick-or-treating Demon.

Those four tales of terror include: a staid high school principal who is a Halloween serial killer (Baker); a college-age virgin seeking that special guy (Paquin); a woman (Bibbs) who hates dressing up for Halloween and whose husband is obsessed with the holiday; and a group of young teens who pull a cruel prank on Rhonda (Samm Todd), a Halloween traditionalist who recounts the horror of the Halloween School Bus Massacre. 

“I love it,” Dougherty told EW in 2016 about Trick ‘r Treat becoming its own Halloween tradition. “It’s an honor. It’s a rarity that a film which took the path that it took managed to become a cult whatever-you-want-to-call-it — I hesitate to use the word classic, but you understand what I mean. It’s just rare to have a film that people really rally around like this. I’m touched.”

Dougherty has spent years developing a sequel, saying in a 2019 interview, “It’s been a few years since we initially talked about it [at Legendary] and there’s been a regime change since then. They still have the property, and they love it, and there’s still a long line of merchandise and a continuing line of comic books based on the film, but the ball is in their court.”

The director added: “The moment they say they’re interested and ready to go, we’ll see if the stars align.” 

Tickets are now on sale for Trick ‘r Treat. See the official website for dates and ticketing info.