The horror genre has been in a serious renaissance for thee past few years. Rather than stale sequels or torture porn, filmmakers have been crafting unique and critically acclaimed films. In addition to scaring the hell out of moviegoers, these projects have also made a ton of money at the box office. Blumhouse's Halloween movie is a prime example of this trend, and a pair of new sequels will arrive over the next two years to create a bonafide trilogy. Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle returned for the 2018 movie, and a new rumor indicates that another OG denizen of Haddonfield may be returning for the next installment.
Actor Tom Atkins starred in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the oddball threequel that didn't contain Michael Myers at all. He recently did an interview, where he indicated that original Halloween and Halloween II star Charles Cyphers was reprising his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett for the upcoming blockbuster Halloween Kills. As he put it:
I think Chuck is going to be in this next one. He was in a bunch of those early ones, the original and a bunch thereafter. So he's going to be in it.
Well, this is exciting. It looks like Halloween Kills might have another cast member from John Carpenter's iconic 1978 horror flick. Charles Cypher also appeared in the first sequel, which is no longer considered canon in Blumhouse's timeline of events.
Tom Atkins' comments to Comic Book haven't been confirmed by anyone associated with Halloween Kills, but it's new that will excite the hardcore fans of the franchise. Halloween helped change the horror world when it debuted, and Charles Cypher's character is one that makes logical sense to bring back for another sequel. After all, he had a deep connection to the events of the original movie.
Leigh Brackett was Sheriff of Haddonfield during Michael Myers' original rampage through the sleepy Illinois town. He was shown trying to galvanize the police force and seek out Michael, as he began ripping through babysitters. But perhaps his more emotional connection was that one of those victims was his daughter Annie.
Related: There Were Always Plans For More Halloween Movies
Annie Brackett is one of Laurie's best friends in the original Halloween movie. She's feisty and quick-witted, and is babysitting Lindsey Wallace before handing her over to Jamie Lee Curtis' signature character. She's killed by Michael in her car, before her body is used to scare Laurie during her epic final sequence with Michael.
Bringing Sheriff Brackett back to the narrative seems like a great way to connect Halloween Kills to John Carpenter's original film. Laurie's teenage encounter with Michael Myers was shown to traumatize the franchise favorite, and Annie's death likely also deeply affected her father. Especially because Brackett was unable to protect his own daughter from her grisly fate.
Alas, we'll just have to wait and see if this report comes to fruition, as details about the upcoming sequel slowly drip out.
Given Halloween's popularity and penchant to be replayed during the titular holiday, there are plenty of moviegoers who are thrilled to see that Blumhouse's sequel will be getting a pair of follow-up films. The next two Halloweens will be accompanied by new installments to the property, expanding the new timeline and cast of characters in the process. So fans are eager to see what David Gordon Green brings with Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
2018's Halloween ignored all of the previous sequels, and created a new timeline for the property. The movie caught up with Laurie Strode forty years after she survived Michael's original attack as a kid. Jamie Lee Curtis' signature final girl was deeply affected by the events of that first film, struggling through her post traumatic stress disorder on a daily basis. What's more, it was revealed that her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) was taken away from her because she was an unfit mother.
But the Strode women ultimately survived their conflict with Michael Myers, after he escaped Smith's Grove and returned to Haddonfield. Fans are eager to see what the emotional fallout of that encounter was, and how it's changed the trio of survivors. Karen presumably has a much different understanding of her mother's trauma, and Allyson appeared to be in shock from the encounter-- clutching Michael's butcher knife during the movie's final moments.
Charles Cyphers' possible involvement in Halloween Kills would be a great way to bring John Carpenter's original back into the story, in addition to following up on the new characters introduced in Blumhouse's acclaimed sequel. While the new Halloween was focused on Laurie's ongoing trauma, the movie didn't explicitly address the deaths of Annie and Lynda. But with two more movies, there will be plenty of available screen time available to address Laurie's two departed friends.
Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends will reveal how the town of Haddonfield had recovered since the Michael Myers returned to the town and massacred more teens. Laurie's tale of survival was more like a wild story than a reality at the start of Blumhouse's Halloween, The Shape's second murderous rampage should make her experience all the more real.
Much like the Sheriff Brackett himself, the lawman in charge of Haddonfield failed to make much of a difference when Michael Myers started ripping through babysitters. This fact might be another opportunity for Charles Cyphers' character to appear on the silver screen in a Halloween sequel. His perspective could be important to both Laurie and the local law enforcement, so we'll have to see if these reports come to fruition.
Regardless, David Gordon Green and company are likely pulling out all the stops for the next two Halloween movies. Their first installment broke box office records for the slasher subgenre, and was a massive critical success. The team is made up of Halloween superfans, so we should expect plenty of homages to past films in their upcoming sequels.
All will be revealed when Halloween Kills is set to arrive in theaters on October 16, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
