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Rob Zombie Writing/Directing HALLOWEEN 3?
The road to a new installment in the Halloween franchise has been a bumpy one for The Weinstein Company (formerly Miramax) and Trancas International (not to mention the fans, too, but aren't we always the last to have our feelings considered?). It all stared seven years ago (yeah, it's been that long!), shortly after the release of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, when Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer (the duo behind My Bloody Valentine 3D and Drive Angry) pitched their idea to introduce Michael Myers to the third dimension.
The Weinstien Company loved their pitch for Halloween 3D, but didn't bother reading the finished script and decided, according to Farmer, that "it wasn't the right time". Years passed.
Then, out of the blue, it was announced last June that Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (the writers behind Feast, Saw IV, V and VI, as well as The Collector and The Collection, the latter two Dunstan directed), were in pre-production on the next film, reportedly titled Halloween Returns. Melton and Dunstan, having co-written the script, with Dunstan set to direct, were already scouting locations and in the process of casting. The news spread like wildfire across the horror movie community. The film, dubbed by producer Malek Akkad, as a "re-calibration" of the Halloween series, reportedly found Michael Myers standing trial for his crimes before breaking free and returning to his hometown of Haddonfield.
But just as suddenly as this news broke, our collective hearts were subsequently broken when it was revealed that not only had the film been cancelled, but that The Weinstein Company no longer held the rights to the franchise. The rights had reportedly reverted back to The Weinstein's former company, Miramax, owned by Disney. In limbo the series has since remained. Until now....
A source "close to the company involved" (they wouldn't say which company Disney/Trancas/Miramax?) contacted me reporting that, after initially looking into shopping the franchise to another distributor, Miramax/Disney is now exploring the potential of bankrolling and distributing the next Halloween in house. Executives have even met with a writer/director for the project: Rob Zombie.
The meeting reportedly took place "recently", lasting approximately three hours and by the end of it all parties involved were "very pleased" with the outcome. My source was quick to emphasize that a Hollywood meeting is ultimately only just a meeting and, oftentimes, leads nowhere. But keep in mind, Zombie's involvement in Halloween 2 began in an eerily similar fashion, after writer/director duo Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (who brought us 2007's Inside) left that project citing creative differences.
I urge you to take this news with a grain of salt. If my source is to be trusted (personally, I'm 50/50), it's not hard to believe that executives would meet with Zombie to discuss the possibilities of him taking the Halloween reigns once more. After all, his 2007 remake/prequel/reboot did turn a healthy profit at the box office. On the other hand, and, again, assuming that the source is truthful, a meeting is only just a meeting. Or is it?
What are your thoughts on Rob Zombie returning to the Halloween franchise? Let me know in the comments section below.
