By Travis Johnson
The 2018 Halloween is officially A Big Thing, having debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews (check out that sweet Tomatometer rating).
Now comes news that Jason Blum, head of horror factory Blumhouse, who are producing David Gordon Green’s long lead sequel, is heading to Sydney as a guest of Universal to to take questions on all things Blumhouse – including, naturally, Halloween.
For those unfamiliar with Blum’s work, he’s “…a two-time Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer. His multi-media company is known for pioneering a new model of studio filmmaking: producing high-quality micro-budget films.
“Blumhouse’s model began with the original Paranormal Activity, which was made for $15,000 and grossed close to $200 million worldwide, making it the most profitable film in Hollywood history. From there, Blumhouse has continued to produce box office smashes, such as Insidious, Ouija, Get Out, Split, Happy Death Day and films in The Purge franchise, hits that have grossed a staggering total of $3.6 Billion globally.”
Halloween, of course, sees Jamie Lee Curtis return to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago. It’s a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s iconic 1978 original, carving away swathes of confusing continuity (and sequels of wildly varying quality) to produce a new chapter that has critics in paroxysms of joy and terror. Lo:
The Hollywood Reporter: …delivering both fan service and honest-to-god moviemaking of the sort rarely seen in horror spinoffs.
Rolling Stone: Halloween Is the Scariest Valentine You’ll Ever See
Collider: 40 Years Later the Franchise Is Back to Form
The Playlist: Rejoice! This Brutal Horror Remake Is Killer.
Blum will be in Sydney on Thursday, October 4, and Friday, October 5. No word on any public appearances as yet, but fingers crossed.
Halloween is in Australian cinemas from October 25, 2018.
