Will the Halloween sequel reboot live up to the original?

John Carpenter’s Halloween is regarded as one of the most important films ever made in the horror genre, as it went on to influence a number of other slasher flicks such as Friday the 13^th and Scream. The 1978 classic was unique and original, but its sequels tended to regurgitate old formulas to poor critical reception. This year, the classic serial killer flick is set for a reboot directed by David Gordon Green. The new release will disregard all the other sequels to Carpenter’s original and act as a direct follow up to the Falcon International Productions release.

There is a current trend in the movie industry to reboot successful franchises of old, with some mixed results. Jurassic World, for instance, was a major hit. But films like the recently released Ocean’s 8 and the Ghostbusters remake from Paul Feig have been met with lukewarm critical responses. It seems that the new releases need to be able to pay enough homage to the original, while also bringing in new and exciting elements. Jurassic World did this well by introducing the formidable dinosaur hybrid the Indominus Rex, and by choosing to have the raptors as allies to the protagonist. It remains to be seen what the creators of the new Halloween will do to keep it fresh, while also attracting those who loved the original.

There are few horror fans who don’t know about Carpenter’s slasher from the late 1970s. Crazed killer Michael Myers is frequently referenced in popular culture, while there are current games around which feature the maniac as well. Myers has also recently appeared as a playable character in Dead by Daylight, a survival horror game from Behaviour Interactive. Players could choose whether to play as the murderer or as a helpless teen trying to escape him.

Halloween, which will be released on 19^th October this year will mark the 40^th anniversary of Carpenter’s film. It will see Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her role as Laurie Strode, 40 years on from the events of the original picture. Judging by the trailer, it is clear that the original story has been revamped for a modern audience. It appears as though the stakes will be raised after there is a mass breakout from a maximum security mental institute, with many of the escapees likely to follow Myers on a spree of terror in his hometown of Haddonfield.

Hopefully, Halloween will take note of the failed reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street in 2010, and bring enough new material to keep modern audiences interested. With Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride having collaborated writing the project, there is certainly a lot of promise for it to be an improvement on the other sequels. But will it live up to the original slasher? Audiences will have to find out later this year.

The editorial unit