Cult Classic Trick 'R Treat Is Getting Its First-Ever Theatrical Release This Halloween
"Trick 'r Treat" has hit milestones many horror movies don't even dream of in the 15 years since its festival release, playing hip film festivals, earning a comic book adaptation, and even inspiring a section of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights attraction. Yet somehow, the film has never gotten a proper theatrical release until now. This fall, Warner Brothers is set to remedy that. According to the official WB Classic Films Twitter, "Trick 'r Treat" will be playing in Regal Cinemas just in time for Halloween.
The theatrical announcement seems somewhat spontaneous today, as it seems a horror-loving Twitter user was among the first to pick up on the upcoming release. On Wednesday, Twitter user @dansferatu shared a post about Regal's October lineup, which in addition to "Trick 'R Treat" includes "The Lost Boys," "Scream 2," and "Halloween." WB Classic (@wbclassicfilms) then shared that user's tweet a day later with the caption, "The cat's out of the bag! Trick r Treat is coming to theaters this fall for the first time EVER!"
Sam is coming to the big screen
This is amazing news given that "Trick 'r Treat" is a certifiable cult favorite at this point, yet nearly everyone who loves it hasn't been given the chance to see it on the big screen. The 2007 anthology film by writer-director Michael Dougherty tells four Halloween-set stories that all feature a mysterious trick or treater named Sam (Quinn Lord), who wears orange footie pajamas and a woven sack over his head.
In addition to giving us one of the cutest horror characters in recent memory, the movie also features a pre-"True Blood" werewolf Anna Paquin, "Happiness" star Dylan Baker as a murderous principal, and a supporting cast that also includes Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb, and Lauren Lee Smith. The interconnected narratives are dark and often funny, although some, like "Halloween School Bus Massacre," are also harrowing.
"Trick 'r Treat" generated pre-release hype back in 2007 and 2008, screening a San Diego Comic-Con and festivals like Fantasia Fest and Screamfest Horror Film Festival, but it ended up with a direct-to-video release in 2009. It was an odd decision that /Film's Peter Sciretta questioned at the time, writing, "Why is it being dumped direct to DVD? This could have been Warner Bros' next annual franchise." Regardless, the film has finally found its way to a theatrical audience just in time for spooky season.
Tickets to "Trick 'r Treat" in theaters already appear to be available on the Regal website, with showtimes beginning Thursday, October 6, 2022.