Back in 2016 when Halloween movie fans were wondering when or if they would get their next fix of slasher Michael Myers, they got a pretty big surprise from none other than the father of Michael Myers John Carpenter (along with partner Debra Hill). After Rob Zombie made his two iterations of the iconic character, there were two failed attempts at a new entry into the series. Then the news fans of the franchise had waited 40 years to hear; John Carpenter would be involved in a new Halloween sequel and if the film did well another sequel was already being talked about. With the September 2018 release of Halloween, it wasn’t long after we got word there wouldn’t be just one, but two sequels to follow. October 16, 2020 would see the release of Halloween Kills followed by an October 2022 release of Halloween Ends.
After the two failed sequels by Dimension Films, they lost the rights to the intellectual property and they were picked up by Blumhouse Productions with the involvement of the aforementioned Carpenter. Soon after we heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth. Carpenter flanked on each side by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jason Blum announced not only that they were going to be involved, but they even announced some details of the film.
So the story goes that Danny McBride and David Gordon Green met with John Carpenter with an idea for a sequel to Halloween. Not a sequel to the Rob Zombie Halloween films, but a sequel to John Carpenters original 1978 Halloween. Their idea was to throw out the sequels and make a story about how the events of 1978 and the impact on the individuals involved forty years later. McBride and Green known more for their comedy collaborations made an instant impact on Carpenter and he was on board.
For a while it wasn’t clear what Carpenters role would be, but not long after we found out David Gordon Green would be directing the film from a script written by himself, McBride and Jeff Fradley. Although fans were a bit disappointed Carpenter wasn’t going to be sitting in the directors chair, instead his role would be something as an advisory role. It didn’t take long before we had our first teaser of the film with a much more hard core Laurie Strode getting ready for battle with a long institutionalized Michel Myers. Halloween Kills has returned much of the same team along with added writing by Scott Teems who replaces Fradley.
Halloween 2018 seemed to be just what the franchise needed and on a budget of just 10-15 million dollars (although Universal claims to have spent an estimated 75 million marketing the film) brought in over 255 million worldwide. The films trailer was premiered at San Diego’s Comic-con followed by a panel of Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum, Gordon Green, and Malek Akkad. Curtis talked about a connection with the “me too” movement and described Laurie Strode as a person suffering from Trauma and PTSD from her attack 40 years prior. She claimed it was time for Strode to stop being a victim and take back her narrative and became a person waiting for a chance to get back her life.
Halloween 2018 turned out to be more of a return to form for the franchise, but still included some harsh kills and strong violence. Along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween 2018 stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and all three are confirmed to return. Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers, also returned to shoot some scenes for the film, but had an assist for the more physical movements of Michael Myers (originally referred to as the shape). Along with the returning stars form Halloween 2018 we are getting some more return characters from the original 1978 Halloween including Kyle Richards (returning as Lindsey Wallace) one of the children Laurie Strode was baby sitting that night along with Tommy Doyle (now played by Anthony Michael Hall). Also returning is Nancy Stephens as Marion Chambers, a nurse from Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween H20. Another original character played by Charles Cyphers reprising his role as Leigh Brackett who was Haddonfields sheriff back in 1978. These kind of cameo’s are fun for long time fans of the franchise. In Halloween 2018 some people may have missed a vocal cameo by PJ Soles who played Lynda, Laurie Strode friend who was killed by Michael Myers dressed as a ghost in a sheet.
So will Halloween Kills do as well as Halloween 2018 or will it be more of a Halloween 666? Could Halloween Kills be a victim of Venom 2 (Oct 1) and No Time to Die (Oct 8)? Will the formula work again or do people expect something different this time around? The film’s original release date was Oct 16, 2020, but because of the pandemic producers wisely held back for an entire year. The movie is also getting a simultaneous home and theatrical release. Although people are starting to come back to theaters, film distributors have still been releasing movies on streaming formats and home theater platforms at the same time. For Halloween Kills, the film will debut in theaters and NBC’s relatively new streaming service Peacock. No word on what NBC paid for the rights to stream Halloween Kills opening night, but it seems producers want to ensure there’s some guaranteed money before the film even opens. Are you excited about the 12th installment of the Halloween franchise? Make sure you check back for our full spoiler-free review of Halloween Kills right here on ohbpodcast.com!
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