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Ten Unmade ‘Halloween’ Movies

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It’s fair to suggest that Halloween introduced of the most iconic figures in the history of horror and despite the fact the franchise “spawned” a number of sequel, reboots, and reimaginations, there were several planned Halloween projects that were never made. 

Michael Myers (Myers) first made his appearance on the silver screen back in 1978 when John Carpenter’s (Carpenter) Halloween was released. The movie went on to spawn seven sequels, a reboot, and a revival in the forty years that followed. 

Thanks to Blumhouse (Blumhouse Productions), there are still a number of Halloween instalments in the works, however, numerous others were almost made. 

When the moviewas released, it kept the story simple by introducing Myers as a brutal killer setting his sights on Laurie Strode (Strode – Jamie Lee Curtis).

It’s safe to suggest that the iconic Carpenter movie transferred the slasher genre as a number of movies took “pages out of Carpenter’s playbook.” As the franchise continued, the Myers mythos grew but it also became a bit more complicated. 

With creative differences, studio rights and competitors getting the way, it became harder to match the tone of the film which started it all. In the forty years since the introduction of Myers and Strode, numerous writers came out to develop new chapters of the iconic franchise.

Whilst some actually transformed into sequels, others never passed the early stages of development. Listed below, with detailed descriptions, are the Halloween scripts and concepts that never came to be. 

Original Halloween II Script

In spite of the success of the franchise’s original installment, Carpenter had no interest in a sequel. The highly-respected director found out Universal was planning to make another film staring Myers aka The Shape whether Carpenter was involved or not, so he later signed on to write the movie, teaming up with Debra Hill (Hill) once again. 

Through his unwillingness, Carpenter still refused to direct Halloween II, so Rick Rosenthal was hired. The movie served as a continuation of Strode’s struggle against Myers, even though the original concept of the script was much different than what movie goers watched in the early 80’s. 

Instead of continuing the events of original installment, the original concept was for the sequel to pick up a few years later. Myers tracks Strode down to the high-rise apartment building where she lives. 

Carpenter changed his mind later on and switched the focus back on Haddonfield by extending on the night a teenage Strode first encountered/interacted Myers. In case you’re unaware, there was also brief consideration of making the movie into a 3D sequel. 

Dennis Etchison’s Halloween 4 Script 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch left the mythology of Michael Myers behind and became an anthology for the franchise’s second installment. In the decades that followed, the movie written by Tommy Lee Wallace gained a cult following. 

However, the studio and financiers wanted their masked icon brought back to the franchise. With the blessing/support of executive producer Moustapha Akkad (Akkad), Carpenter and Hill come back on board to help Dennis Etchison’s to write the screenplay for Halloween 4.

The concept for the late 1980 movie paid tribute to the first two instalments of the franchise while focusing on the fallout of the devastating events in the decade that followed. Haddonfield bans the 31st October holiday until a local drive-in breaking the rules by marathoning horror movies, an event that angers parents. 

Another deadly rampage ensues while Tommy Doyle (Doyle) and Lindsey Wallace are still processing their trauma from their first face-to-face with Myers. The movies “toys with the idea” that the killer is a copy cat or some king of supernatural being. 

Etchison also suggests that Dr. Loomis could have had an influence on Myers sadistic behaviour.  Carpenter and Hill sold their rights to the iconic horror franchise, and Akkad took over. Akkad rejected Etchison’s script and went with the concept that the flesh and blood killer returned home, Haddonfield, with his sights set on Myers niece, Jamie Lloyd

Dominique Othenin-Girard’s Original Halloween 5 Script 

After the release of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Akkad had it in his mind that Myers needed to be at the front and centre of any more sequels. After Halloween 5 was greenlit, Dominique Othenin-Girard (Othenin-Girard) was “tapped” to direct the movie. 

Othenin-Girard partnered with Robert Harders, and the pair had a very different idea in mind to “further” the mythology of Myers. Instead of trying to blow Myers up after he fell down a mine-shaft in Halloween 4, the iconic killer is left for dead. 

A lightning strike resurrects Myers and cleanses the evil that once plagued his soul. Taking inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s monster, Myers is now a misunderstood gentle giant. 

However, Myers reappearance does sit well with the townspeople, and so go after him. Any of Myers’ killings are purely out of self-defence, and Dr. Loomis volunteers to help him.  Naturally, Akkad wasn’t too keen on this idea, so he rejected the version of the script. 

Phil Rosenberg’s Halloween 666: The Origin

In the years between Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, a number of writers emerged to write the next film in the franchise. One of them was Phil Rosenberg who wrote a script titled Halloween 666: The Origin

The script concentrates on Myers, living as a homeless man years following his last massacre. Doyle, now an adult, assumes the Dr. Loomis-type character and teams up with a reporter named Dana, who turns out to be a relative of Myers. 

Apart from a cameo from Dr. Loomis as a self-committed asylum patient, the sequel would have strangely incorporated Doyle using a VR program to witness the cure of the Myers family at a Samhain festival. Once again, Akkad was not a fan of the script. Ultimately, going in another direction. 

Quentin Tarantino’s Halloween 6 Concept 

During the development period of Halloween 6, iconic filmmaker Quentin Tarantino (Tarantino) was approached by Miramax. Tarantino never produced an official script, however he did present a few interesting ideas. 

It would have been incorporated the “Man in Black”, who was presented at the end of Halloween 5, and Myers fleeing Haddonfield. 

The duo would then travel the highway, leaving a trail of bodies along Route 66 as a “nod” to Natural Born Killers. Miramax ended up going a different route, and Tarantino went on to produce Pulp Fiction

Robert Zappia’s Halloween 7 Script 

Before the development of Halloween: H20 “came to fruition”, Robert Zappia dreamt up a direct-to-video concept for the franchise’s seventh movie. Going by what has been reported, it was meant to follow Myers preying on students at an all-girls prep school. 

A Myers family member would have attended the school, and there was a glimmer of hope that Jamie Lee Curtis would reprise her role. The movie would have also had a Silence of the Lambs-style subplot, which included the police getting assistance from a copycat killer to find Myers. 

Halloween: Asylum 

Back in 2004, Matt Verne and Josh Goldfinger imagined a loose sequel to 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection. It referenced the original film primarily and focused on Myers while he was on death row. 

Myers then broke free and wreaked havoc on Smith’s Grove Sanitorium. The script was never picked up by Dimension, however some elements were incorporated in Rob Zombie’s Halloween reboot.   

Michael Myers Vs. Pinhead 

After the success of Freddy vs. Jason in 2003, Dimension because interested in putting Myers and Pinhead together. The company owned the rights to both characters, so Dimension approached Carpenter and Clive Barker in regards to a Halloween/Hellraiser crossover. 

This subsequently became the second proposed attempt at a crossover after filmmaker Dave Parker pitched the idea in the 1990s. He came up with the idea that a young Myers was possessed by the Lament Configuration puzzle box, and eventually squared off against Pinhead. 

Even with Barker writing the new concept and Carpenter’s interest in directing, Akkad wasn’t interested of the idea. 

Halloween 3D – Rob Zombie 

Backwhen Rob Zombie rebooted Halloween in 2007, he also reimagined Myers’ origins and his thirst for blood. The result was a horrific increase in violence and gore. Whilst some followers were onboard with Zombie’s concept, other loyal followers of the Halloweenfranchise were not. 

In the end, Zombie ended up developing a sequel, Halloween II, in 2009 and although the Director’s Cut killed off Myers Strode (played by Scout-Taylor Compton), and Dr. Loomis, the theatrical version of the movie left the door open for a sequel. 

Not only did Compton’s Strode survive, but she was plagued with the madness of the Myers family. Dimension planned for a sequel that would have shown Strode joining Myers before he is allegedly killed and she is committed to an an asylum.

The plot moves to the hospital as a reboot of the original Halloween II movie, as Myers returns. Strode, not being able to cope with the course of events, takes her own life, and Myers goes on another murderous rampage. 

Here’s an interesting tidbit! Dimension had the idea to produce the sequel in 3D. However, Zombie declined to direct the movie, and the idea was later scrapped entirely. 

Halloween Returns 

Back in 2015, the franchise nearly “entered another soft reboot” with the development of Halloween Returns. The script, written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, was set to serve as a sequel to the first original installments. 

Supposedly, Halloween Returns takes place in 1988 while Myers is on death row and sees the the return of Halloween II’s Officer Gary Hunt. Before Myers execution, a power outage allows Michael to escape, and he sets his sight on Hunt’s young daughter. 

Terror then ensues in Russellville, the neighbouring town to Haddonfield. Halloween’s revival was getting ready to film until Dimension ended up losing the rights to iconic horror franchise. 

Blumhouse (Blumhouse Productions) then took over with David Gordon Green at the helm as director. Following the success of 2018’s Halloween, Blumhouse will finish the present-day trilogy with 2020’s Halloween Kills and 2021’s Halloween Ends

Source: Screen Rant 

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