Halloween Kills - What We Know So Far
As the horror genre's reigning Final Girl, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) exceeds her reputation in the 2018 sequel, "Halloween." Despite the self-inflicted isolation of her militaristic lifestyle and the resulting strained relationships with her family, Strode is ready for the inevitable return of Michael Myers (Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney).
"Halloween" is the first installment in a trilogy directed by David Gordon Green. The films are direct sequels to the original 1978 film of the same name directed by John Carpenter, retconning the various films in between. The film became the highest-grossing entry in the Halloween franchise, making over $250 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Co-writer Danny McBride said they were eager to shoot a sequel, but wanted to make sure audiences were on board first (via Entertainment Weekly). "Halloween" is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics and fans agreeing that it's a welcome change for the franchise. Now, the much-anticipated sequel, "Halloween Kills," is officially on the horizon.
Here's everything we know about "Halloween Kills" so far.
When will Halloween Kills be released?
The initial release date of "Halloween Kills" was October 16, 2020, but a July 2020 statement from Green and Carpenter revealed that the film was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The post explained that working on the film had been "wild and vibrant," and while they were eager for fans to watch it, they had to be mindful of the current circumstances.
According to the Motion Picture Association's annual THEME report on the entertainment industry, the pandemic had negatively impacted both global and domestic cinema trends. "The U.S./Canada box office market was $2.2 billion in 2020, down 80 percent, with a large number of cinemas closed and most major film releases postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic," the report found.
"If we release it in October of this year as planned, we have to face the reality that the film would be consumed in a compromised theatrical experience," the statement reads. "After weighing our options, we have chosen to push the film's theatrical release by one year."
Now, nearly one year later, "Halloween Kills" is scheduled to premiere at the 17th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, and will be hitting U.S. theaters on October 15 (via IMDb). Additionally, the release date for "Halloween Ends" is set for October 14, 2022, meaning we shouldn't have to endure such a brutal wait time before seeing the trilogy's final entry.
Who is returning for Halloween Kills?
Of course, Jamie Lee Curtis will be reprising her iconic role as Laurie Strode, the tormented babysitter-turned-fighter. The other Strode women will be returning as well: Judy Greer is back as Laurie's estranged daughter, Karen, and Andi Matichak is back as Karen's daughter, Allyson.
Additionally, Michael Myers will be portrayed by Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney again. Will Patton and Jibrail Nantambu will also be reprising their roles from the previous film. While "Halloween Kills" is naturally pulling from characters introduced in the 2018 film, it's also bringing back characters from the 1978 film.
The young children Laurie babysat in the original are all grown up now. Tommy Doyle will be portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall, while Kyle Richards is reprising her role as Lindsey Wallace. Nancy Stephens is reprising her role as Marion Chambers, a retired nurse. Charles Cyphers is reprising his role as Leigh Brackett, the former Haddonfield sheriff whose daughter was killed by Myers.
Thomas Mann, Victoria Paige Watkins, and Brian F. Durkin will be joining the cast, as well. This time around, it's safe to assume the true-crime podcasters will be staying as far away as they can.
What is Halloween Kills about?
In an interview with Empire, Green and McBride explained that "Halloween Kills" picks up directly where the previous film ended. However, while the first film focused on Laurie's life 40 years after surviving a brutal killing spree, Green said, "This is more about the unravelling of a community into chaos."
The 2018 film ends with Michael Myers trapped and left for dead in Laurie's flame-engulfed home, but as fans know, the Captain Kirk-Masked killer doesn't go down easily ... or at all. The "Halloween Kills" trailer shows Myers walking out the front door and attacking the firefighters before resuming his reign of terror on the small Midwestern town.
As Myers leaves a trail of bodies leading to his childhood home where it all began, the Haddonfield residents rally together to hunt down the obsessive killer. Laurie leaves the hospital where she's recovering from a stab wound and declares, "Evil dies tonight."
"Events in the film bring together a lot of characters who were in the 1978 film who we didn't see last time," McBride explained to Empire. "They gather to try, once and for all, to take down Michael, to stop this madman."
It's unlikely that Myers will be defeated in "Halloween Kills" considering there's one more film to come in the trilogy, but anything is possible.