Michael Dougherty is Celebrating Halloween and Sam with Short Films and Screenings of 'Trick 'r Treat'

Michael Dougherty is Celebrating Halloween and Sam with Short Films and Screenings of ‘Trick ‘r Treat’

Halloween is only a few days away, and filmmaker Michael Dougherty recently launched new animated video content on the official YouTube channel for his iconic character, Sam, from his anthology Trick ‘r Treat.

The digital’initiative, titled Sam: The Soul of Halloween, celebrates the beloved character’s 30th anniversary by releasing fresh video shorts and unique artist collaborations throughout October. Recent uploads include short films, teasers, and creative countdown shorts. As a result, genre fans have a steady stream of new holiday content leading up to Halloween night.

Claymation Jack-O’-Lantern Warning

Among the new uploads, animator Trent Shy contributed a unique claymation short titled Sam’s Harvest. The short delivers a playful yet ominous warning about improperly disposing of jack-o’-lanterns after Halloween. Dougherty personally selected Shy to create the custom short after discovering his impressive stop-motion work online. The artistic collaboration highlights Sam’s original duty: an ancient guardian who strictly enforces traditional holiday rules.

Celebrating Three Decades of Sam

The broader digital campaign honors the thirtieth anniversary of Dougherty’s original short, Season’s Greetings. The Season’s Greetings film introduced Sam long before he headlined the 2007 cult classic feature Trick ‘r Treat. By collaborating with diverse animators, Dougherty brings the character back to his hand-drawn and claymation origins. These artistic shorts provide horror fans with an evolving anthology of festive content to revisit every fall.

Tune in daily as the countdown continues with short films and YouTube shorts celebrating Sam and the year’s best holiday, Halloween.

Big Screen Theatrical Revival

Beyond the digital space, Sam is also returning to movie theaters nationwide. Regal Cinemas is hosting special seasonal screenings of Trick ‘r Treat through the holiday week. Each theatrical showing includes a newly remastered 4K presentation of the original Season’s Greetings short film. This big-screen event lets moviegoers see the animated character right before watching his iconic feature debut. Can’t make it to the theater? You can stream Trick ‘r Treat on AMC+, HBO’Max, Starz, and Prime Video. Watch the original trailer and Season’s Greetings below.