If you haven't yet experienced the magic of the best Halloween movie ever, Trick 'R Treat, here's what you need to do before you continue reading this post: Stop whatever you're doing, go find a copy (it's available to rent through Netflix DVD), and watch it in full, preferably with the lights off, because this movie truly is Halloween's very own Christmas Story.
Now, with that said, here's the big news: At a screening and Q&A session for the film, director Michael Dougherty—who also plays the film's main/terrifying character, Sam—revealed that the film will be getting a sequel, six years after it was originally released in 2007.
"There's been a lot of fan demand for a sequel for years now, and I feel like this is sort of the first time that the fans have reached that fever pitch on Facebook and online," Dougherty said. "I think [that] finally made its way up to the powers-that-be at Legendary [Pictures]." Before Trick 'R Treat was supposed to be released in 2007, the film was unceremoniously dropped by Warner Bros., and quietly released straight-to-DVD two years later, with hardly any promotion. On its own it managed to amasse a huge cult following, which really just goes to show how quality it really is.
As for what the sequel will entail, Dougherty did tease a little: "Found-footage torture porn," he joked to MTV News, before backtracking. "We're the antithesis of that...I think the important thing is that we remain true to the spirit of the original in that it's a fun horror Halloween film." So, what should we actually expect? Dougherty said he has some "loose ideas" for the plot, but nothing concrete as of yet. "A year ago, I was telling a friend of mine, 'Witches will be the next one.' They're almost sort of a natural fit after werewolves, zombies and vampires...to me, it's less about the kind of monsters ... [they] are less important than what kinds of stories we're telling."
One thing is for sure, though: Sam will be back. "It was always the plan to have him be the common link between all of the stories and all of the films," Dougherty said, before adding that this doesn't mean we should expect to see any other characters, like Anna Paquin's Laurie, make a return. "It's a horror film, so anything could happen."
Unfortunately, it may be a while before we actually see Trick 'R Treat 2 being released—Dougherty also commented to MTV that he's going to take a break for a while now, to focus on developing the film. "What comes next is I disappear for a little while. I need to lock myself away and get cranking for a really long time."
You can watch the full panel here, which was hosted by Seth Green in LA last night and featured appearances not only from Dougherty, but also from two of the film's stars, Dylan Baker and Brian Cox, as well as producer Bryan Singer.
[via Legendary]
