It seems the new rage in Hollywood is for old franchises to try and reclaim their former glory by disavowing the sequels that came after their acclaimed initial runs. The Predator is doing this, as is the next Terminator film, and now, you can add Halloween to the list.
The horror franchise began back in 1978 and has since spawned seven sequels (though Halloween 3 was more of a spinoff) and a 2007 reboot franchise that made it to two films before getting the axe. Now, the next installment in 2018 is looking to continue the original franchise… by ignoring every single Halloween film released after 1978. Speaking to Stereo Gum, original Halloween director John Carpenter said of the upcoming film, “It’s kind of a… I don’t know how to describe it. It’s almost an alternative reality. It picks up after the first one and it pretends that none of the others were made. It’s gonna be fun. There’s a really talented director and it was well-written. I’m impressed.”
In the new film, Jamie Lee Curtis will reprise her role as Laurie Strode, the woman tormented by Michael Myers, but don’t expect any familial connections. The reveal that Laurie and Michael are siblings, which came from Halloween 2, appears to be out the window. As are the character’s various deaths: Laurie was said to have died prior to Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, only to have Curtis reprise her role in the seventh film, Halloween H20, with the reveal that she faked her death. She was then killed for good by Myers himself at the start of Halloween: Resurrection, the final film in the series before Rob Zombie’s reboot.
Carpenter is producing the new film and may provide the music, while David Gordon Green is directing off a script he co-wrote with Danny McBride. The film, which is simply — and confusingly — titled Halloween, is scheduled to hit theaters October 19, 2018. Here’s the official synopsis:
Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
