Once upon a time, in the year 2016, the Halloween franchise was stuck in limbo following Rob Zombie’s divisive reboots and the canceled Marcus Dunstan movie, Halloween Returns. It was dark days for the iconic slasher saga, but there was a thread of hope dangling on the horizon. With the prospect of a new movie seeming more unlikely, Fangoria revealed that Michael Myers was possibly heading to the small screen. The news was bare bones even at the time, but we knew that the idea had been discussed nonetheless.
Since then, Blumhouse has resurrected the franchise, and those rumors feel like hazy memories. The world has moved on, Michael Myers fans are happy. The new movie, which serves as a retconned sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, will hit theaters in October, and the Halloween brand is arguably the hottest it’s been in 40 years.
But what does the future hold? With all the excitement surrounding the new flick, it’d be understandable if the prospect of a TV show was a thing of the past. At the same time, since this movie is expected to be a massive hit, right now is the perfect time to consider jumping to the small screen.
The powers that be are also considering the prospect. In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, producer Malek Akkad revealed that he and his compatriots have been mulling the idea over. “You know, it’s something that we’ve had for a long time, and I definitely want to see it done,” he said.
Akkad also suggests that television might be the franchise’s best bet going forward. “Nowadays,” he said, “we all know, TV is pulling out ahead of theatrical in a way that surprised everybody, certainly me.” With modern television the most prestigious and cinematic it’s ever been, he has a point.
A Halloween TV series seems like an inevitability anyway. Several major horror franchises — A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Hannibal, Evil Dead, Scream, Psycho, The Exorcist, et al. — have already inspired their own small screen incarnations (even if they were completely unrelated to the movies, like Friday the 13th: The Series). It’s not a matter of “if” Halloween will follow in their footsteps, it’s a matter of when. In these IP-obsessed times, Halloween will be milked.
But that’s not a bad thing by any means. A TV series presents an opportunity to do something fresh and interesting. Michael Myers slaughtering people is fun and all, but there are other routes the franchise could explore as well.
The original plan for the Halloween franchise was to make it a series of different movies, all of which took place on the titular holiday. However, the only movie to depart from the Myers mythos was Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and that didn’t go down well with audiences who only wanted to see the Shatner-masked serial killer. As a result, their idea was scrapped. Should this show go ahead, it could explore the anthology concept and tell an abundance of original stories about all manner of horrific situations. Not pursuing this idea back in the day was a missed opportunity for the franchise — especially now we know that most of the movies they made instead are no longer canon.
Of course, with Myers being the franchise’s centerpiece, we know he’s going to feature in the series in some capacity. Akkad confirmed the villain’s inclusion in the Bloody Disgusting interview, though he did stress that the series would be unique. “It wouldn’t look anything like your traditional Halloween movie, but [Myers] is there as are a lot of other characters but used in different and interesting ways.”
Interesting. Maybe this would be a Bates Motel-esque scenario that digs into Michael’s origins some more. What his life was like in the hospital, etc. I hope they don’t take this route, though, as it would strip away the Shape’s mystery and ambiguity. Plus Zombie already tried the origin story approach, and… yeah.
Alternatively, maybe the show will show Myers during different periods of his life as he slaughters the innocent. He’s been around, after all. Or, maybe he’ll be a background player, who merely fills a small part in a story that places new characters at the forefront. Personally, I’d love to see a show dedicated to Dr. Loomis.
There are so many possibilities to consider. Not only would a TV series make for a refreshing change of pace for the franchise, but it doesn’t have to interfere with the Myers-centric theatrical releases, either. Jason Blum told Forbes that he’s open to making more sequels if the latest one performs well. The likelihood of this happening is high because no profitable slasher franchise ever truly dies. I hope they launch this rascal into space eventually.
The Blumhouse association also makes a TV spinoff seem like a strong possibility. As we’ve already seen with The Purge and the upcoming Worst Roommate Ever movie and the subsequent docuseries, producing movies and TV shows based on the same IP is in line with the studio’s business model. Don’t be surprised if they’ve had discussions about producing a TV series already. But if Blum and co. don’t get involved, someone else will.
Horror shows are hot at the moment, and it’s only a matter of time before Halloween gets in on the action. It’s clear that the producers have fresh ideas in mind for what the franchise could be, and after 40 years of scaring moviegoers, I’d love to see them explore some non-traditional avenues on the small screen. Until that day comes, however, at least we’ll get to see Myers tear it up some more. Bring on the body counts.
Related Topics: Halloween
