Terrifier 2 Director Thinks The Halloween Series Should Take A Break (For Now) [Exclusive]
More than any other genre in cinema, horror is notorious for never letting a franchise die. Horror movies can, generally speaking, be made on the cheap (especially compared to even a modest summer blockbuster) and the return on investment can be huge. That's why we've had 13 "Halloween" movies in 45 years. Inevitably, we're going to get a 14th movie and maybe even more, as we recently learned that a TV series set within the world of Michael Myers is in the works. If this goes according to plan, it will be the beginning of an entire "Halloween" universe. And at least one notable modern horror filmmaker believes that's probably not the right way to go.
/Film's own Jacob Hall recently spoke with "Terrifier" director Damien Leone in honor of the upcoming theatrical re-release of "Terrifier 2" next month. During the conversation, Leone mused about which classic horror character he might like to take a stab at, having already invented his own budding icon with Art the Clown. Leone made it clear that, at least for now, Michael Myers wouldn't be on his list. Here's what he had to say about it:
"As much as I love 'Halloween,' I feel like I don't have an idea of how to make that fresh. I think 'Halloween' needs to rest for a little bit. Part one is so perfect, the original 'Halloween,' and then we've just seen all these other variations of the character, just making him very brutal, doing this, doing that, where I don't know what else I could really bring to that table. So as much as I love Michael Myers and 'Halloween,' that's one I wouldn't be too eager to jump on."
Let Michael Myers stay dead for a while
It's not that Leone is totally opposed to a remake/reboot within a pre-existing franchise. "If I could ever remake one slasher film, it would be Friday the 13th," Leone added. So Jason Voorhees would be a different story. As for "Halloween," he probably has a point. Whereas we haven't seen Jason on the big screen for nearly 15 years, going back to the 2009 "Friday the 13th" remake, we've seen Michael Myers quite a bit as of late.
Director David Gordon Green made an entire trilogy of "Halloween" movies beginning in 2018, with 2021's "Halloween Kills" and, most crucially, 2022's "Halloween Ends" rounding things out. As the title implies, "Halloween Ends" really did a bold thing in horror by providing a definitive end to the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. Green left virtually no wiggle room. That said, the series has been rebooted and retooled several times, with Rob Zombie's "Halloween" serving as one major example. So it's not as though that incarnation of the series concluding would prevent anyone from doing something else with the franchise. In this case, Miramax now controls the TV rights, and they're going to start on the small screen.
But to Leone's point, it is truly difficult to imagine anything feeling fresh so soon after the release of "Halloween Ends." Part of the reason Green's trilogy worked so well is that the franchise had been away for nearly a decade and audiences were ready for Myers to return. Bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis for a direct sequel to John Carpenter's original 1978 classic made it feel fresh. What could Miramax possibly do to make it feel fresh yet again? Leone is not the man to crack that nut. He's content, for now, to focus on "Terrifier 3" and whatever comes after.
"Terrifer 2" returns to theaters on November 1, 2023.