The Stepfather (1987 film)

The Stepfather
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Joseph Ruben
Screenplay by	Donald E. Westlake
Story by	Carolyn Lefcourt Brian Garfield Donald E. Westlake
Produced by	Jay Benson
Starring	Terry O'Quinn Jill Schoelen Shelley Hack
Cinematography	John W. Lindley
Edited by	George Bowers
Music by	Patrick Moraz
Production company	ITC Productions[1]
Distributed by	New Century Vista Film Company[1]
Release date	January 23, 1987 (1987-01-23) (United States)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States[1]
Language	English
Box office	$2.5 million (US)[2]

The Stepfather is a 1987 American psychological horror film^[3] directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack. O'Quinn stars as an identity-assuming serial killer who marries a widow with a teenage daughter. Having killed his previous family and changed his identity, his murderous tendencies continue after his stepdaughter becomes suspicious of him. The film is loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List,^[4] although the plot is more commonly associated with slasher films of the era. The film was written by Donald E. Westlake, from a story by Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt and Brian Garfield (the latter of Death Wish fame), with an uncredited rewrite by David Loughery.

The film was theatrically released in the United States on January 23, 1987. It grossed $2.5 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. It has since gained a cult following and was followed by two slasher sequels, Stepfather II (1989) and Stepfather III (1992), and a remake, also called The Stepfather, released in 2009.