‘Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween’ Gives the Classic Fairy Tale a Deadly Twist

Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween is taking one of folklore’s most enduring stories and sending it down a far darker path, with production now wrapped on the upcoming horror fantasy feature and international sales set to begin through genre specialist Devilworks.

Filmed in Oklahoma, the feature centres on six teenagers who stumble into a candy-coated labyrinth on Halloween night. Once inside, they find themselves trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by a sinister Witch who transforms temptation into lethal traps. According to the synopsis, escaping the maze will require resisting the very sweets and treats designed to lure them deeper into danger.

The film is written by Chris Hoyt, whose previous credits include The Adventures of Jurassic Pet, Dinosaur World and The 7 Dwarves. Directing duties are shared by Marcus Mallard and Logan Walcher, who also produced the project alongside Leah Heitzke-Mallard and Hoyt.

Devilworks, which fully financed and executive produced the film, has confirmed it will handle international sales. The company attended this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is targeting a release later in 2026.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Devilworks described the project as an in-house original developed specifically for the company before Hoyt was brought in to write the screenplay. The film was subsequently produced in partnership with Mallard’s Mouldy Rogue Productions and Walcher’s Proxima Bear Production.

Leading the cast is Christy Tate as Amelia, also known as the Witch, alongside Griffin Edge as Hansel and Alexia Berry as Gretel. They are joined by Aubree Payne, Nehemiah Auzer, Madison Sein, Tate Skelton, Amanda Stump and Caroline Kelly.

For Mallard, the project offered an opportunity to blend fantasy and horror within a familiar framework. Walcher similarly described the film as an attempt to reimagine the Hansel and Gretel legend through a more frightening lens, while retaining the recognisable elements that have kept the story alive for generations.

The feature also represents another expansion of Devilworks’ growing original production slate. Founded in 2013, the company has established itself as a significant player within independent genre cinema, with titles including The Hollow Child, Discopath, Some Kind of Hate, Time Lapse and Red Christmas helping to build its international profile.

Behind the camera, Walcher also served as cinematographer and editor, while music comes from Bitter Machine and production design was overseen by Leah Heitzke-Mallard.

First-look images released alongside the production wrap announcement offer an early glimpse of the film’s stylised fairy tale setting, though further details regarding release plans have yet to be revealed.

Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween is currently in post-production, with Devilworks aiming to release the film later in 2026.