With spooky season fast approaching, there’s no better time to check out some of the countless Halloween movies featuring the city of Salem, including Hubie Halloween, the newest Salem-centric film scheduled to be released on Netflix Oct. 7.
A comedy horror movie directed by Steven Brill and starring Adam Sandler, Hubie Halloween follows the plight of Salem resident Hubie Dubois (Sandler), who must convince police and townsfolk that monsters are behind a number of local disappearances.
The story takes place in Salem and includes footage from 2019’s Haunted Happenings, and scenes from Salem’s famous Witch Museum.
“It was a lot of fun to have Adam Sandler and crew in Salem last year to film parts of Hubie Halloween,” said Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem. “Salem has a rich history and is recognized around the world for our month-long celebration of Halloween, which made it a great fit for Hubie Halloween.”
The film’s large all-star cast also includes Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Maya Rudolph, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Michael Chiklis, Kenan Thompson, Peyton List, China Anne McClain, Paris Berelc, Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, June Squibb, Shaquille O’Neal, Karan Brar, Noah Schnapp, Mikey Day, Melissa Villaseñor, Kym Whitley, Lavell Crawford, Betsy Sodaro, George Wallace, and Blake Clark.
“As travel to Salem isn’t possible for many families this year, the new film will let them bring a piece of it home to their personal screen,” Fox said.
Hubie Halloween joins a long list of films and television shows that feature the notorious Witch City.
In the classic 1993 film Hocus Pocus — available now on Prime Video and Disney + — viewers will recognize scenes from Pioneer Village, as well as iconic downtown locations like the Ropes Mansion, Salem Common, Old Town Hall, and more.
Mass Hysteria, a 2019 independent horror comedy about a group of Salem Witch Trial re-enactors who find themselves the target of a modern-day witch hunt after a tourist dies on Halloween night, was filmed in Pioneer Village and several other downtown locations and is also available on Vimeo on Demand.
For those looking for more films to celebrate a COVID-friendly Halloween this year, a list of the Destination Salem staff’s favorite movies and television programs filmed in Salem can be found at salem.org/filmed-in-salem.
