The original Scream Queen is returning to the slasher series that started her career.
Blumhouse Productions tweeted on Friday: “Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode in HALLOWEEN, released by Universal Pictures October 19, 2018. #HalloweenMovie.”
Laurie Strode herself confirmed the news, tweeting: “Same porch. Same clothes. Same issues. 40 years later. Headed back to Haddonfield one last time for Halloween.”
Curtis has played the iconic killer’s sister in a number of Halloween films, including the 1978 original, Rick Rosenthal’s Halloween II (1981), and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998). Curtis also made a brief appearance in 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection.
In regards to the new film, David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Bound) will direct as well as co-write the script with frequent collaborator Danny McBride (yes, that Danny McBride).
During an interview with CinemaBlend, McBride was asked where the new film fits within the storied Halloween continuity. McBride had this to say:
“You know, it’s not a remake. It’s actually, it’s gonna continue the story of Michael Myers in a really grounded way. And for our mythology, we’re focusing mainly in the first two movies and what that sets up and then where the story can go from there.”
As you may recall, Steve Miner and Jamie Lee Curtis also used Rick Rosenthal’s sequel as the jumping off point for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. Does this mean McBride and Green’s new film will offer yet another reality for the character of Laurie Strode, one that also stems from Halloween II but in another direction? Guess we will have to see.
While on Empire Podcast, McBride also offered some insight into his and Green’s approach to the material:
“I think we’re just trying to strip it down and just take it back to what was so good about the original. It was just very simple and just achieved that level of horror that wasn’t corny. And it wasn’t turning Michael Myers into some supernatural being that couldn’t be killed— that stuff to me isn’t scary. I want to be scared by something that I really think could happen. I think it’s much more horrifying to be scared by someone standing in the shadows while you’re taking the trash out as opposed to someone who can’t be killed pursuing you.”
While hardcore Halloween fans might be turned off by the notion of demystifying yet another cherished horror icon (*cough* Friday the 13th *cough*), there is more good news. Original Halloween director and franchise co-creator John Carpenter is on board to produce and seems fairly optimistic about the project:
“David and Danny both came to my office recently with Jason Blum and shared their vision for the new movie and … WOW. They get it. I think you’re gonna dig it. They blew me away,” Carpenter wrote then. “I might even do the music. Maybe. It could be kind of cool. And you’ll get to see it in theaters on October 19th, 2018.”
It’s been a number of years since John Carpenter has had anything positive to say about any of the Halloween sequels, so the fact that he’s willing to come back and produce this new one in addition to (possibly) scoring the music is a good sign.
Again, the untitled Halloween sequel is set to film this fall and will hit theaters October 19th, 2018. Just in time for Michael Myers’s 40th anniversary!
What do you all think about Jamie Lee Curtis returning to Halloween? Does it make you any more excited to see another film in the long-running franchise? Or are you about over the whole thing? Let me know in the comments below! I want to hear your thoughts!
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