In the realm of slasher movies, few franchises can compare to Halloween. John Carpenter's beloved indie fright fest scared its way into theaters back in 1978, and Michael Myers' legacy as a terrifying icon has been cemented in the annals of horror history ever since. There has been ample talk of another Halloween movie for years, and now it looks like it's finally going to happen next year -- just in time for the original's fortieth anniversary. Moreover, it appears that a family reunion on the horizon, as Jamie Lee Curtis has officially signed on for the new Halloween as Laurie Strode. Check out the iconic Scream Queen's tweet below.
If you're a fan of the original Halloween, then virtually every pixel of that photo should ooze nostalgia for you. From the leaves on the ground to the lighting on the porch, everything about the announcement for this tenth Halloween film -- which will debut in theaters on October 19, 2018 -- invokes the imagery of the original. Even Laurie's outfit is identical to the one seen during her Halloween night babysitting Tommy Doyle in 1978, and Michael's mask looks closer to the original than anything seen in any of the subsequent sequels. This is Halloween in its purest form.
As far as continuity goes, it looks like Halloween is primarily picking up after the events of the first two films, with Laurie Strode still haunted by the events of 1978 four decades after Dr. Sam Loomis seemingly killed The Shape in a fiery explosion in Haddonfield Hospital. It looks like this iteration of Halloween is going to ignore everything that came after Halloween II (as well as the Rob Zombie reboots), but we will have to wait and see if characters like Danielle Harris' Jamie Lloyd or Josh Hartnett's John Strode still exist in this version of the timeline.
This also means that Halloween: Resurrection definitely never took place in this timeline because Laurie Strode unceremoniously died by her brother Michael's hand at the beginning of the 2002 sequel. If Halloween: Resurrection doesn't exist in this timeline, then it also means that the events of Halloween: H20 never took place as well. All in all, it looks like Halloween is generally aiming for a fresh start with this long-awaited sequel, and that's something worth getting excited for.
Things are looking just as promising behind the scenes as they are in front of the camera, as Halloween seems to have assembled a crack team to bring this story home. Blumhouse Productions has already established a strong reputation for horror over the last few years (particular with films like Get_ Out, _Hush, and The Purge franchise), and the project has also enlisted Danny McBride and David Gordon Green to develop the story -- with Green also attached to direct. Perhaps most importantly, Halloween has finally brought back original director John Carpenter as an executive producer -- which, if nothing else, could help add legitimacy among real horror fans.
Laurie Strode and Michael Myers will face off one last time when Halloween debuts in theaters next fall on October 19, 2018. Can't wait that long for more spooky silver screen adventures? Take a look at our list of upcoming horror movies we're dying to see, as well as our 2017 movie premiere guide.
