Adam Sandler Interview: Hubie Halloween

With Halloween just around corner, the month calls for frights and things that go bump in the night. Adam Sandler answers that call on October 7 with his latest Netflix film, Hubie Halloween, in which a neurotic Salem resident must save the holiday despite the constant mockery from his neighbors.

Sandler spoke with Screen Rant about the Halloween that inspired his latest venture, and just how he plans to celebrate the holiday with his kids during the pandemic.

Along with your Hotel Transylvania franchise, Halloween seems to be a big part of your life. What is it about the holiday that you relate to?

Adam Sandler: Well, I certainly had the best time of my life growing up with Halloween, and my kids enjoy it more than anything. It’s the whole October of it all and getting the pumpkins out and putting this stuff up on the house and figuring out what the heck you’re gonna wear that year. As a kid, it was exciting getting to run around with my friends, and trying to get as much candy; your parents were cool with you eating a lot of candy. It was by far the highlight, for sure.

One thing I love about this movie is there was a ton of Harley Quinns in here, and I think I saw about 87 last year.

Adam Sandler: One of them was my wife. My wife is one of them Harley Quinns.

I was able to pick up on a lot of influences from some of my favorite Halloween movies, like The ‘Burbs and Halloween: The Movie, and even Hocus Pocus. What were the inspirations behind this film?

Adam Sandler: I’d say all those you mentioned. Also, when I was a kid, my favorite comedy was Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man. That was the best thing; just Lou Costello being scared of Dracula or of Frankenstein or Wolfie. That’s what we were looking to do, just making a goofy movie where my character is afraid of everything. The fact that Halloween is the backdrop for it made it fun.

Hubie’s do-it-all thermos was so much fun. Where did that idea come from? 

Adam Sandler: We just kept building and building on it. We thought it would be fun that he walked around with a lot of soup, and that he enjoyed soup. And then we started saying, maybe it’d be nice if you know he was in the scouts growing up. He had figured out a way to to make his thermos a little flashy and come up with some contraptions in there. And then every day we would go, “What about if this happens?” So, we added about 10 different things to the thermos.

A lot of the town has it out for up, except for Violet and his mom. Why does he attract so much negative attention?

Adam Sandler: I think he’s just a little annoying; he takes it so serious and Halloween so it’s so serious. But I don’t think it warrants all the abuse the man takes when he’s just trying to help out the community. The movie does teach a lesson in making sure you’re as kind as you can be to everyone.

This year is going to be unlike any other in our lifetime, with recommendations of not trick or treating during the pandemic. What would you suggest for people to celebrate Halloween and keep the spirit alive? 

Adam Sandler: That’s a good question. I’m sure you have better answers. I haven’t thought about it, but Halloween night, my kids are not gonna be trick or treating. They’re gonna be upset with that, so I’m sure we’ll all dress up. The masks of course will help the fact that you’re supposed to wear a mask anyways; that’s gonna come in handy. I’m sure we’ll have some social distance trick-or-treating going on in the backyard. Maybe a haunted house set up in your own home. That’d be fun.

It’s still gonna be good, man. It’s Halloween.

Then we can throw this movie on, because it’s brilliant. 

Adam Sandler: I agree, man. Might as well watch Hubie once or twice that evening also.