Back in June, it seemed that the latest installment in theHalloweenfranchise,Halloween Returns, was finally back on the right track.Marcus Dunstan(The Collector) was brought on to direct, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with his writing partnerPatrick Melton, with Dimension Films claiming that production would begin this past summer. Filming never got under way, but directorMarcus Dunstanrevealed in September that he wants to castCommunitystarGillian Jacobsas the female lead. Now it seems the long-gestatingHalloween Returnshas hit yet another stumbling block, withBloody-Disgustingreporting that Dimension Films has lost the rights to the franchise as a whole.
The Wraphas also confirmed the news, adding thatMarcus Dunstanis no longer involved with the project, and Miramax is looking to start fresh with producerMalek Akkad. Miramax is reportedly shopping the franchise around to find a new distributor forHalloween Returns.Malek Akkadteased that this new installment may be delayed, in an interview from October withDaily Dead.
“Unfortunately things happen in Hollywood where you have issues with studios and different variables-we’ve had to take a step back and now we’re trying to refigure this beast that is the newHalloween. So there is a bit of a delay with this sequel now. But I do think it is a good thing for the franchise. It’s only going to be resulting in a better film, which I hope the fans appreciate. But this newHalloweenisn’t going to be quite what has been announced and what people are expecting, so we’re making some changes there as well.”
Dimension Films, the genre division of The Weinstein Company, had previously controlled the belovedMichael Myersfranchise for the past 20 years, starting in 1995 withHalloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. The studio went on to produce 1998’sHalloween: H20, 2002’sHalloween: Resurrectionand directorRob Zombie’s 2007Halloweenremake and its sequel,Halloween II. It isn’t known if Miramax is currently seeking a new writer anddirector, or if this project will still retain the titleHalloween Returns.
TheHalloweenfranchise runs in the family for producerMalek Akkad. His father, Moustapha Akkad, served as an executive producer onJohn Carpenter’s 1978 classicHalloween, and all of its sequels, before he passed away in 2005.Malek Akkadfirst served as an associate producer onHalloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and he served as a producer, associate producer or executive producer on all of Dimension’sHalloweenprojects. We’ll be sure to keep you updated onHalloween Returnsas soon as more information becomes available about the future of thishorror moviefranchise..
