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‘Halloween Returns’ Director Reveals the Meaning Behind the Title!

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Back in June Bloody Disgusting exclusively broke the news that Marcus Dunstan will be directing the “recalibration” of the Halloween franchise that he penned with regular collaborator Patrick Melton (various Saw sequels, as well as Pacific Rim, Feast, The Collector and The Collection).

This holiday afternoon we were pointed to a two-part YouTube video that offers 20 minutes of a 2-hour long interview with Dunstan, who reveals not only the meaning behind Halloween Returns, but also teases that The Box‘s Gillian Jacobs could be joining the cast.

While much of the interview was “lost” because of “technical difficulties”, the interviewees reveal plans for a violent opening, and confirm it will follow the events of the first three Halloween films (it’ll be interesting to see how this is even possible).

Inspired by the real-life murder of one of Dunstan’s family members, the most intriguing portion of the interview recounts the meaning behind the title Halloween Returns.

Halloween, if you have a semicolon, Returns, I think I put it in an email as a subtitle, but I think it was registered as Halloween Returns, which is fine. I like that, and it works, it does function as what it means to say. But if you commit a violent act, sometimes you get returns. What are the repercussions of being a violent entity? In that case, Halloween Returns could mean a number of things.”

And while we’re all waiting patiently for a shooting date, Dunstan does confirm that they’ve begun some tests: “The coolest thing we’ve done so far is a couple motion tests of potential Michaels.”

The duos vision for the film is built on the original film by John Carpenter and the build of suspense.

“Michael Myers is subtlety and suspense,” he explained. “Suspense isn’t expensive. A karate fight in a burning room is expensive.

He continued: “We went back to the original [Halloween] screenplay too and just read it, John Carpenter’s draft, and timed it with watching the movie, and line for line it keeps the same clock as watching the movie, so if you’re reading the pages, it’s almost like a shot list.

“I want to see a film shot on film,” he added later. “I want it to be one that stands on its own.”

Thanks to Halloween Daily News for transcribing, who also pulled out the info that, when asked about how the Michael Myers mask will look, Dunstan says it has to resemble the classic profile from the John Carpenter’s 1978 original Halloween. Of the mask’s reveal, likely in an early teaser trailer, the director sites the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser featuring a familiar yet aged Harrison Ford at the end, stating, “Our goal is to have that Han and Chewie moment.” Later, when asked if he wants to make more sequels after Halloween Returns, Dunstan, says, “I want to make The Dark Knight.”

Here are early plot details for Halloween Returns:

Halloween Returns will be a standalone film set to reintroduce audiences to Michael Myers years after his initial rampage. It will pit a new group of Haddonfield youngsters against Myers.

The now 18-year-old child of one of Myers’ victims plays a central role along with the child of a cop whose long been obsessed with Myers’ case, even putting it before his own daughter.

Myers is now on death row and the two kids with their own personal vendettas against the killer sneak in to watch his execution. But when things go awry and Myers escapes, the pair, along with their friends, find themselves in the firing line.

Updated Sep. 8 @8:36PM

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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Julia Garner Joins Horror Movie ‘Weapons’ from the Director of ‘Barbarian’

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'Apartment 7A' - Filming Wraps on ‘Relic’ Director's Next Starring “Ozark’s” Julia Garner!
Pictured: Julia Garner in 'We Are What We Are'

In addition to Leigh Whannell’s upcoming Universal Monsters movie Wolf Man, Julia Garner (The Royal Hotel) has also joined the cast of Weapons, THR has announced tonight.

Weapons is the new horror movie from New Line Cinema and director Zach Cregger (Barbarian), with Julia Garner joining the previously announced Josh Brolin (Dune 2).

The upcoming Weapons is from writer/director Zach Cregger, who will also produce alongside his Barbarian producing team: Roy Lee of Vertigo and J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures. Vertigo’s Miri Yoon also produces.

The Hollywood Reporter teases, “Plot details for Weapons are being kept holstered but it is described as a multi and inter-related story horror epic that tonally is in the vein of Magnolia, the 1999 actor-crammed showcase from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.”

Cregger was a founding member and writer for the New York comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’Know,” which he started while attending The School of Visual Arts. The award-winning group’s self-titled sketch comedy show ran for five seasons on IFC-TV and Fuse. He was also a series regular on Jimmy Fallon’s NBC series “Guys with Kids” and the TBS hit series “Wrecked,” and was featured in a recurring role on the NBC series “About a Boy.”

Weapons will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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