Here’s some exciting news to kick off your week with: according to Trick ‘R Treat director Mike Dougherty, the long-gestating sequel to that cult horror classic has not been forgotten at Legendary. In fact, it’s in “very active development.”
The news comes to us from Dougherty himself, who appeared over the weekend at Beyond Fest for a special screening of his 2007 film, followed by a Q&A. Here’s some receipts, courtesy the good folks over at Bloody Disgusting:
We can finally share the news! @Mike_Dougherty announced tonight that he’s in “active development” with @Legendary on the sequel for TRICK ‘R TREAT and that everyone wants it to happen. Get ready for more from Sam. #trickrtreat @trickrtreat @am_cinematheque pic.twitter.com/9BNEC13ZTg
— Beyond Fest (@BeyondFest) October 2, 2022
Regarding a Trick ‘r Treat sequel, Dougherty says he’s excited about the possibility, Legendary is excited by the possibility, and it’s currently in active development, stressing that doesn’t mean it’s greenlit, but does add, “Very active development.” #TrickRTreat #BeyondFest
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) October 2, 2022
For those of you just joining this saga, a sequel to Trick ‘R Treat was announced many years ago, only for the project to never materialize. Dougherty’s kept busy in the intervening years, directing the Christmas-themed horror, Krampus, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and those films have been well worth watching. They have not, however, been the long-promised sequel to Trick ‘R Treat. A number of fans (this writer included!) eventually figured that follow-up was dead in the water and stopped waiting for it, but now it appears that all hope is not lost.
Recently we learned that a few theater chains (Regal and AMC among them) were bringing the original Trick ‘R Treat back to theaters this month, and now we’re wondering if this move wasn’t intended to take the temperature in the room amongst Trick ‘R Treat fans. This is, of course, purely speculation, but if you’re hoping to see this sequel get off the ground … probably couldn’t hurt to express your support by showing up to one of those screenings! You can read more about those here, if you are so inclined.
At any rate, here’s hoping it all comes together this time! We’d love to see what Dougherty would do with a follow-up (Trick ‘R Treat remains one of the all-time best horror anthologies), and will be waiting with baited breath to see where this goes. Cross your fingers, say a prayer to that rascally murderer Sam, and stay tuned for further updates as they roll in!
