Halloween 2018 release date, cast, plot, trailers, soundtrack: Everything you need to know and more

Halloween 2018 is set to hit theaters on October 19, 2018
In Halloween 2018, Nick Castle returns as Michael Myers, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode

The Halloween 2018 release date is fast approaching, as fans prepare for the eleventh installment in the franchise and sequel to the classic 1978 movie.

The new movie sees Jamie Lee Curtis returning to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who narrowly escaped with her life when Michael Myers went on a killing spree in Haddonfield four decades ago.

The latest film ignores the continuity of all previous sequels to John Carpenter’s original 1978 movie, including Rob Zombie’s two-part remake, Halloween I (2007) & II (2009).

Despite having been locked up in prison for 40 years, Myers hasn’t gotten over his bloodlust for the final girl who escaped death in his hands. The girl hasn’t forgotten Myers either, and when he returns, she’ll be better prepared than ever before.

As fans eagerly await Curtis’ return as Laurie Strode for a final confrontation with her masked assailant, here is everything you need to know about Halloween 2018, including the release date, cast, plot, and much more!

Halloween 2018 release date

Halloween 2018 is set to hit theaters on October 19, 2018, only a week before the 40th anniversary of the original 1978 movie. However, the movie will world premiere in September at the 43rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). TIFF announced earlier in August that the festival’s Midnight Madness program for 2018 will feature Halloween 2018 and Shane Black’s The Predator 2018. According to Peter Kuplowsky, spokesperson for TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, Halloween and The Predator were chosen as two of the most-anticipated sequels to classic movies whose franchises have stagnated recently.

Ryan Turek, Blumhouse VP of Feature Film Development, confirmed in August 2018 that Halloween 2018 movie will be rated R.

Halloween 2018 directors, producers and writers

Halloween 2018 is directed by David Gordon Green, best known in recent years for the comedy movie Pineapple Express (2008), the TV comedy-drama Red Oaks (2014-2017), and Stronger (2017). Green co-wrote the script of Halloween 2018 with Jeff Fradley and comedian Danny McBride. McBride has worked with Green in the past and appeared in several comedies, including Green’s Pineapple Express, HBO’s sports comedy TV series Eastbound & Down (2009-2013), and Vice Principals (2016-2018). He also co-starred in Alien: Covenant (2017).

Halloween 2018 is being produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, a film and television production company with an established track record in the horror genre. Blumhouse produced The Purge TV series (2018- ), Get Out (2017), Split (2016), Paranormal Activity (TV series; 2007-2015), and Insidious (2010).

John Carpenter, the Hallowen franchise creator, who directed and co-wrote the original 1978 movie with Debra Hill, and co-produced the 1981 sequel Halloween II with Debra Hill, returns to the franchise after more than three decades. Blumhouse brought Carpenter back to serve as executive producer alongside Jason Blum.

Carpenter also composed the score for the new movie. Fans will recall that he composed the score for the original 1978 movie, and its sequel Halloween II (1981). He later produced Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) with Debra Hill. Halloween III was originally meant as the initial installment for an anthology series.

Halloween 2018 cast

Jamie Lee Curtis is returning to Halloween 2018 as Michael Myer’s final victim Laurie Strode. Curtis appears in Halloween 2018 after having played Strode in four previous installments of the series. She has died twice in the Halloween series, first in a car accident in Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), and when she was murdered by Michael in Halloween: Resurrection (2002).

Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode.

However, the storyline and plot of Halloween 2018 will use only the original movie as its source material and ignore all other installments in the series.

Stuntman and actor James Jude Courtney, best best-known for his work on Far and Away (1992) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996), will play Michael Myers (The Shape) for most of Halloween 2018, but Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers, will be returning to portray the masked slasher in some of the scenes. Castle portrayed Michael Myers for most of the original Halloween movie as The Shape, while Tony Moran portrayed the unmasked Myers in the final scenes of the movie.

Will Sandin portrayed Myers as the 6-year-old who killed his older sister Judith Myers in the original Halloween movie.

Judy Greer will be playing Laurie Strode’s daughter, Karen. Andi Matichak will be playing Karen’s daughter, Allyson. Matichak made guest appearances in Orange Is the New Black (TV series 2013- ), Underground (TV series 2016- ) and Blue Bloods (2010- ). She will also appear as Kayla Shepard in the upcoming science fiction movie Replicate.

Will Patton will be playing Sheriff Hawkins.

Other cast members include Virginia Gardner as Vicky, Miles Robbins as Dave, Drew Scheid as Oscar, and Dylan Arnold as Cameron. The characters Vicky, Dave, Oscar, and Cameron, are Allyson’s friends.

Omar J. Dorsey will be playing Sheriff Baker, Rob Niter will appear as Deputy Sheriff Walker, Toby Huss as Ray, Jefferson Hall as Martin, the British actress Rhian Rees as Dana Hades, and Jibrail Nantambu as Julian.

Halloween 2018 plot and storyline

Halloween 2018 is set forty years after the original film. Michael Myers escapes from prison forty years after his arrest and returns to Haddonfield on Halloween night for a final showdown with Laurie Strode who only just escaped death during the masked stalker’s previous murderous rampage.

Halloween 2018 does not follow the continuity of the previous sequels, including Halloween II (1981). It picks up from where the 1978 original left off and tell its story from the perspective of Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson. The story will try to tie up some of the loose ends from the original, focusing on some of the most pivotal and memorable moments, but with less emphasis on gore.

Forty years after Dr. Sam Loomis shot Myers, and he is thrown into jail, a British documentary crew visits him to make a film about him. Michael escapes and embarks once again on a killing spree. He finds Laurie who is now a grandmother living with her family. She’s been expecting Myers’ return over the decades. And now joined by her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), she fights to protect her family.

Michael Myers returns in Halloween 2018

This is not the first time that a new movie in the Halloween franchise has disregarded previous installments to create a new timeline that uses only the original movie as its main source material. The Halloween franchise already has multiple timelines.

Halloween 2018 will disregard the controversial plot twist introduced in Halloween II (1981), which makes Laurie to be Myers’ sister. Many subsequent installments, including Rob Zombie’s Halloween I & II, adopted the sibling rivalry plot twist, but Halloween 2018 will disregard it and maintain that Laurie and Michael are unrelated.

Halloween trailers and posters

Jamie Lee Curtis unveiled the first trailer for Halloween 2018 at Universal’s CinemaCon session on April 25, 2018. The trailer finally appeared online on Friday, June 8. The trailer teases Laurie Strode preparing with grim determination to confront Myers. The video also shows Myers stalking his victims and preparing for the kill by donning his creepy mask.

The trailer was favorably received by fans.

Blumhouse and Universal had released a brief trailer for Halloween 2018 on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, before the full trailer was released on Friday, June 8, 2018. The trailer focused Myers creepy masked visage.

A teaser poster released in April shows Myers wearing the mask he wore 40 years ago in the 1978 original movie. Although identical in appearance, the Halloween 2018 mask is not exactly the same as the original William Shatner mask with its iconic blank killer stare. The new mask is created by makeup artist Christopher Nelson, who reportedly took the pains to research how masks age over time.

Another poster unveiled for SDCC in July 2018, shows a masked and blood-splattered Myers apparently slashing away at a victim. The poster was created by comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who is best known for his work for Marvel Comics.

Halloween 2018 soundtrack teaser

On August 16, 2018, Sacred Bones Records released the soundtrack teaser for Halloween 2018, composed by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies.

According to a statement by Sacred Bones Records, the soundtrack was a tribute to the classic score that Carpenter composed for the original Halloween movie. The enthralling soundtrack, according to the statement by Sacred Bones Records, incorporates “atmospheric synth whooshes to eerie piano-driven pieces… and skittering electronic percussion.”

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