Summary
- Director Michael Dougherty and co-writers Zach Shields and Todd Casey have come up with an idea for a potential sequel to the 2015 film Krampus, which would focus on a group of strangers trapped somewhere instead of a family.
- Krampus featured a talented cast and was a success at the global box office, grossing $61.5 million against its $15 million budget, solidifying its place in the Christmas-themed horror subgenre.
- Dougherty also provided an update on the anticipated Trick ‘r Treat sequel, stating that there are several drafts of a script and promising progress in its development, though budget and scheduling considerations still need to be addressed.
While a Krampus sequel is not officially in the works, that hasn’t stopped director and co-writer Michael Dougherty from constructing a plot for a follow-up film. In conversation with Collider, Dougherty revealed that he and Krampus co-writers Zach Shields and Todd Casey have devised an idea for a second Krampus movie.
“We have an idea for a sequel on that one, too,” Dougherty shared. “It doesn’t necessarily center around a family as much as it might be about a group of strangers who are trapped somewhere.”
That’s a shift in direction from the original 2015 film, which centers around the Engel family, whose dysfunctional bickering drive son Max (Emjay Anthony) to lose his festive holiday spirit. This unleashes the demon Krampus (based on the famous Central and Eastern Alpine folklore figure who exists to terrify misbehaving children), who is out to make sure the family never enjoys a jolly Christmas again. The Engel family must unite to ensure survival.
Krampus featured a talented cast, including Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Anthony, and Gideon Emery (who voices the titular character), and has cemented a top spot in the Christmas-themed horror subgenre. The film also fared well in the global box office, grossing $61.5 million against its $15 million budget.
Related: 15 Holiday Horror Movies NOT Based On Halloween
Michael Dougherty Shares Update on Anticipated Trick ‘r Treat Sequel
Warner Bros. Pictures
While we’ll have to wait and see if Dougherty, Shields, and Casey bring the horned holiday demon back to the big screen, their beloved Sam, the Halloween tradition enforcing little demon from Trick ‘r Treat, seems closer to a return than ever before.
In the same interview, Dougherty doubled down on a comment made last year during Beyond Fest that a sequel to the spooky season favorite was in active development. While Trick ‘r Treat 2 has been in discussion for years, Dougherty shared a new, promising update that the writers had a “really, really great script for a sequel.”
“I will say this, because we said it last year at the Beyond Fest screening, the sequel is in active development with Legendary. I’ll go so far as to say that we have several drafts of a script. I brought back the same storyboard artist I mentioned before, Simeon Wilkins, so we have a stack of storyboards and a good fat stack of concept art done by Breehn Burns as well. So it’s inching along.”
Dougherty also outlined the next steps in bringing the film to fruition:
“I’m hoping to talk to Legendary [the production company behind the sequel]. They’ve been wonderful, like great collaborators. But so much of it is timing, and as you know, we just got out of a strike, so the next step, fingers crossed, would be looking at budget, of course, schedule, and all the rest.”
Trick ‘r Treat is a 2007 film that didn’t receive proper distribution until 2009 when it was released through home media. Since its debut, fandom for the anthology horror film has continued to grow, and the movie, now considered a cult classic, has become a Halloween-time tradition for genre fans.
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