Cult Classic Trick ‘R Treat Is Getting Its First-Ever Theatrical Release This Halloween

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.