Killer Cakes: Matthew Lillard Hosts Halloween Baking Competition from Blumhouse

Horror studio Blumhouse is taking a stab at Halloween baking shows. Prime Video announced Mondayit has ordered Killer Cakes, a fright-flavored competition baking special from executive producer Jason Blum (M3GAN, the Insidious movies) and Cake Boss creators High Noon Entertainment. Horror veteran Matthew Lillard, star of 1996’s Scream and 2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s, is hosting the “deliciously-gory” special judged by Scream Queen Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise) and experimental foodartist and cookbook author Nikk Alcaraz (Peculiar Baking).

The new two-part special, which premieres exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories on October 8, is a one-of-a-kind competitionshow where bakers with terrifying skills attempt to win some of the mostfrightening challenges ever produced for television. Contestants willwork with the best horror special effects artists in Hollywood tounleash their twisted imaginations and create cakes so disgusting, sodisturbing, and so realistic, it’s the stuff of nightmares.

Along with the first-look image above, Prime Video announced the competitors include: Amanda Yother (Rathdrum, ID), Dillon Barlow (Houston, TX), Dziedra “Z” Brusberg (Marysville, WA), Deadra “Dee” Compean (Beaumont, TX), Eszter Summerlin (Gulf Breeze, FL), Jesse Lesser (Dallas, TX), Mark Lie (Chicago, IL), and Shanelle Long (Pensacola, FL).  

Ruth Amsel — who has executive produced Food Network’s Halloween Wars and Cake Wars, Ridiculous Cakes, the pumpkin carving competition Outrageous Pumpkins, and the hyper-realistic cakes game show Stab That Cake — serves as showrunner. Blum and Gretchen Palek (Food Porn) executive produce for Blumhouse Television, behind The Purge TV show, the scripted series Sharp Objects and The Horror of Dolores Roach, and the unscripted true crime series Worst Ex Ever and Cabin in the Woods. Scott Feeley (Haunted Gingerbread Showdown) is executive producing for High Noon Entertainment.

Lillard will executive produce as well as host the special produced by Blumhouse Television, ITV America’s High NoonEntertainment and Amazon MGM Studios. Killer Cakes is streaming globally Oct. 8th on Prime Video.

In other seasonal programming news, Food Network also set its 2024 Halloween slate. Starting in September and running through October, the network will debutnew seasons of Halloween Baking Championship, the Halloween-themed Kids Baking Championship special Scary Good, the Road to Halloween Wars special, and new seasons of Halloween Wars and Outrageous Pumpkins. Food Network also announced Halloween-themed episodes of its daytime series The Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman.