The horror genre has been in a renaissance over the past few years, with plenty of new and exciting projects hitting theaters. Many of the recent blockbusters come from Blumhouse Productions, although that horror studio recently turned its attention on the classics. 2018's Halloween made a ton of money at the box office, while also being a critical darling. Two more movies were quickly green lit, the first of which is Halloween Kills. Plenty of characters from John Carpenter's original Halloween will pop up, with Anthony Michael Hall playing an adult Tommy Doyle. That role was previously played by Paul Rudd in the 1995 movie Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and recently gave the Breakfast Club actor his blessing to take on the mantle.
Tommy Doyle is a character that debuted in the OG Halloween, as the little boy that Laurie Strode is tasked with babysitting. He ultimately makes it out alive, and becomes the protagonist of the sixth movie, The Curse of Michael Myers-- played by newcomer Paul Rudd. Blumhouse's Halloween took all of the sequels out of the canon, directly following up on the events of the 1978 original. Actor Anthony Michael Hall will portray Tommy in Halloween Kills, and it turns out that Rudd actually gave his blessing. As Hall put it,
So one day, [director] David Gordon Green texts me when I’m off – I wasn’t shooting that day – and he goes, ‘Yeah, I got a call from Paul Rudd, and he sends his best and he gave you his blessings – he’s really excited that you’re playing the part.’ I never met Paul Rudd but I thought that was really nice.
What a gentlemen. It looks like Paul Rudd is excited to see Anthony Michael Hall play Tommy Doyle, 40 years after he survived Michael Myers' original attack on Haddonfield. Although just how Tommy factors into the story of Halloween Kills remains a mystery.
Anthony Michael Hall's comments on the Phantasm Podcast are sure to excite the hardcore fans of the Halloween franchise. Michael Myers has been killing victims with a butcher knife for decades, with Halloween Kills marking the whopping 12th installment for the property. Tommy Doyle has been a recurring character over the years, with Paul Rudd's outing in The Curse of Michael Myers being one of his first big breaks in the movie world.
Halloween Kills will reportedly flesh out the events of John Carpenter's original Halloween, while also picking up on the events of the most recent sequel. The town of Haddonfield appears to be a character itself, with original Halloween actors Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens, and Charles Cyphers all returning decades later. With Michael Myers on the loose again, it looks like the survivors of his assault are going to be rounded up.
All will be revealed when Halloween Kills arrives in theaters on October 16th, just in time for the Holiday. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
