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Thursday, October 1
According to Deadline Hollywood, The Weinstein Co. has decided to put the brakes on pre-production of Halloween 3D. The follow-up to Rob Zombie's recent Halloween II was set to rehash the original Halloween franchise conceived by John Carpenter.
Apparently, Bob Weinstein wanted to get the thing into production as quickly as possible, since new director Patrick Lussier is scheduled to work on another project starting in January. The sudden shut down probably leads many to conclude that the Weinsteins' recent financial woes may be responsible. But an unidentified source said that "Bob just felt it was rushing too fast."
We're not sure whether to believe that, since Halloween II performed so poorly at the box office, but regardless, it now appears production on a third installment won't happen until next spring, if it even happens at all.
Meanwhile, Dimension apparently has plans to re-release Zombie's Halloween II in selected theaters for midnight screenings on Halloween. Seriously? Midnight screenings should be reserved for classics and/or established cult films, not mediocre rehashes that aren't even a year old. We don't know about you, but we'd much rather see Carpenter's Halloween back on the big screen.
Posted 10/1/2009 by Rich Z
Related: John Carpenter | Patrick Lussier | Halloween | Robert Weinstein | Rob Zombie | Halloween II | Halloween 3
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Thursday, September 10
Last week it was rumored that director Steve Miner (Halloween H20, Friday the 13th Part 3) was returning to the rebooted franchise that Rob Zombie was vacating, but it looks like The Weinstein Co.would rather hire a director who has worked with 3-D technology more recently than 1982. Variety reports that Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine 3-D) is negotiating with the Weinsteins' horror studio, Dimension Films, to take Halloween's psychotic killer Michael Myers into the third dimension.
The Weinsteins and Dimension have been experiencing some turbulent financial times. After Halloween II lost its opening weekend to The Final Destination, the Weinsteins clearly wanted a sure bet for Halloween 3-D. Lussier's Valentine grossed $51 million at the box office, about three times its budget, which is a good sign for a company that's trying to stay alive financially alongside horror movies like the upcoming Piranha 3-D and Scream 4.
Posted 9/10/2009 by Ryan
Related: Steve Miner | Patrick Lussier | Halloween II | Halloween 3
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Tuesday, September 1
When the Weinstein Co. announced Halloween 3-D, they said they were negotiating with an experienced horror director, but didn't reference the director by name. According to Bloody-Disgusting, that unnamed director could likely be Steve Miner, the director of Halloween: H2O and Friday the 13th Part 2 and 3.
The Weinstein Co. promised a director for Halloween 3-D that would provide a "different take" on the series, which is not what Miner is famous for, but The Weinstein Co.'s "different take" could just mean "something other than what Rob Zombie did in Halloween II."
Until the Weinstein Co. or Dimension Films confirms the hiring, Miner is merely a rumor, but considering Miner's experience with slasher movies, including making them in 3-D, as he did with Friday the 13th Part 3, Miner certainly seems like a solid choice who could bring some stability to a growing, rebooted horror franchise.
Posted 9/1/2009 by Ryan
Related: Steve Miner | Friday the 13th, Part 2 | Rob Zombie | Friday the 13th Part 3 | Halloween II | Halloween 3
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Monday, August 31
Despite Halloween II's box office returns only taking third place during its opening weekend, the Los Angeles Times reports that Halloween 3D is in development. Considering Halloween II was beaten by another horror movie, The Final Destination, which was shot in 3D, the Weinstein Co.'s decision to make a third Halloween in 3D is no surprise.
Rob Zombie, who wrote and directed both of the Halloween remakes, claims he will "never" return for a third, and Weinstein Co. co-chairman Bob Weinstein says that they're negotiating with an experienced horror director to take over Halloween 3D who will bring a "different take" to the franchise. However, if Zombie hates the unnamed director's "take," Zombie's history shows that he may return anyway.
Next Showing: Halloween 3D is scheduled to arrive in theaters summer 2010.
Posted 8/31/2009 by Ryan
Related: Robert Weinstein | Rob Zombie | Halloween | Halloween II | Halloween 3
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Friday, August 28
Family may be forever, but apparently the same can't be said for Michael Meyers' family heirlooms. More than 500 bloody props and costumes from Rob Zombie's Halloween II will be up for auction the day after the movie's premiere, August 29.
Among the "pieces of horror history" on the block are Myers' 23-inch machete; hand and feet shackles; a "dirty, bloody, six-point antler"; a series of Illinois license plates, including one from the beer truck; and more kitchy, plastic pumpkins than we care to count.
To learn more about the auction, which will be broadcast live, visit the Premiere Props site.
Posted 8/28/2009 by reelz
Related: Rob Zombie | Halloween II
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Now that Rob Zombie has finished Halloween II and will "never" come back for another, Variety reports he has set his sights on another remake, The Blob. Zombie will write, direct, and produce a reinvention of the 1958 classic sci-fi movie, and he already knows how he will make it different.
My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing — that's the first thing I want to change. That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now.
Zombie still intends for to be scary, but wants to stay away from the horror of his Halloween movies.
I'd been looking to break out of the horror genre, and this really is a science fiction movie about a thing from outer space. I intend to make it scary, and the great thing is I have the freedom once again to take it in any crazy direction I want to.
But wouldn't Zombie find that same freedom if he tried to make a full-length feature out of his Grindhouse trailer, Werewolf Women of the SS? Considering Robert Rodriguez is making Machete, Zombie agrees that the time is right.
I feel that the Nazi movie is back. Once the trend comes back, the Nazi trends comes back, now you pervert it like crazy and you add werewolves. So, I don't know if we'll ever see that movie, but now is the time. The time is now to strike with this.
I actually did sketch out a whole story. It's so insane, it's ridiculous. It involves time travel. I would love to make that movie. Grindhouse was made like a traditional movie, they spent a lot of money. I would like to go make Werewolf in two weeks with no money.
If Zombie makes both The Blob and Werewolf, that would indeed make him too busy for another Halloween. That is, until he sees what another director wants to do with Halloween III and he gets "protective" again.
Posted 8/28/2009 by Ryan
Related: Robert Rodriguez | The Blob | Rob Zombie | Halloween II
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Thursday, August 27
Originally, Rob Zombie was happy to sit out of the sequel to his remake of Halloween, but when directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury dropped out, and Zombie heard what other prospective directors were planning for Halloween II, he finally stepped in.
Zombie explained to MTV why he couldn't stay away from Halloween II.
I just got protective of the series, because I had spent so much time trying to revive the whole thing that it looked like they were just going to go back in and destroy it.
Zombie didn't want the new Halloween movies to end up like the original series where "every one had a different director, a different guy playing Michael Myers, a different story line" and seemed, to Zombie, to be "shooting off in all different directions." Working on Halloween II, Zombie felt more freedom, claiming the sequel had "less baggage" than the 2007 remake. The results have Zombie pleased.
Everybody liked the stuff that was different, new. There was nobody raising their hand going, "Yes, please give me more of the same old crap! I love seeing the same old crap!" Even though studios seem to think that's what everybody wants, nobody wants it.
Zombie may have felt "protective" for Halloween II, but claims he will "never" return for a third Halloween.
Posted 8/27/2009 by Ryan
Related: Rob Zombie | Halloween | Halloween II
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Monday, August 24
This Friday, both The Final Destination and Halloween II hit theaters, but Destination's series producer Craig Perry isn't worried. Perry told ShockTilYouDrop that the two horror movies sharing the same release date won't stop The Final Destination from stealing the weekend away from Halloween II.
I'm shocked that they haven't moved [Halloween II]. I think that they're being fools because we're going to beat them and we are going to hurt them tremendously.
Perry continued with a little trash talking.
I like Halloween, I've seen all of the movies, but for me, I feel like [Halloween II] just feels like the standard, grungy, dirty guy with a mask. It doesn't seem like it's done anything new with it, and it feels like it'll be scary, but it doesn't feel like it'll be fun. One of the strategic things that we've done in contrast is make [The Final Destination] feel like it's a fun movie.
To see if Perry has the right to brag, here are two new TV spots for The Final Destination. What do you think — is Perry's Halloween bashing warranted?
Next Showing: The Final Destination (and Halloween II) opens this Friday
Posted 8/24/2009 by Ryan
Related: Halloween II | The Final Destination
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Thursday, August 20
Two new clips have arrived online for Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the sequel to his remake of the John Carpenter original. Both clips show Michael Myers in action, looking like a hobo yet dishing out his usual brand of justice.
Following the two clips is a theatrical trailer that has been leaked online which, despite being an excellent trailer, has not been used. The trailer includes new footage, so be warned if you want to enjoy Halloween II spoiler-free. Otherwise, check out all three below:
Next Showing: Halloween II opens August 28
Posted 8/20/2009 by Ryan
Related: Rob Zombie | Halloween II
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Tuesday, August 4
When Rob Zombie decided to write and direct the sequel to his Halloween remake, he had less than a year to get it into theaters. Luckily, Zombie found the sequel was easier to work on. "The first one had a lot of ... baggage? I guess that's the word? Whereas this one had none," he told DreadCentral. "What's great about following up your own movie is now it's all new. The thought of past Halloweens hasn't even entered any of our minds."
One of the biggest changes Zombie has made was the look of killer Michael Myers, which hasn't been easy for fans of the original to appreciate:
Michael Myers is funny, because that's the character that nobody wants to see change. They always want him to be and look the same. For me one of the main things that interests me about making Halloween is making that character change. When approaching this film I was like, well, where did Michael go? Did he disappear into the shadows like a ghost and then suddenly reappear? What I thought would be cool and kind of scary would be if he were like right out there in plain sight and no one notices him anymore because he just looks like a homeless bum. When you see pictures of him it looks odd, but within the context of the film it makes perfect sense. It's interesting because that happens sometimes. I mean you see these homeless people, and you're like — who are they? They could be f**kin' serial killers for all you know. Maniacs. But you don't pay any attention to them. Michael is just living on the fringe of society.
Zombie has already stated that he will not do a third Halloween and the latest TV spot claims that Halloween II completes Zombie's "terrifying vision." Still, that doesn't mean that Myers won't be back:
[Halloween II] is a much darker, dirtier, nastier, and more psychotic world. After this there's nothing more we can do. That doesn't mean that there won't be more, there just won't be more involving me.
See the new, homeless look of Michael Myers in the trailer below:
Next Showing: Halloween II opens August 28, 2009
Posted 8/4/2009 by Ryan
Related: Halloween | Rob Zombie | Halloween | Halloween II