If I thought I had been excited for the next entry into the Halloween film franchise before, well, then let me tell you that my enthusiasm has exponentially increased following this morning’s debut of the first trailer. For my money, it very much appears as though director David Gordon Green has found the right formula and assembled something truly special.
Of course, what’s added to the intrigue is how the story will unfold knowing this followup acknowledges nothing but the events depicted in the 1978 original. In fact, the convention of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode being siblings has now been wiped from canon, thereby allowing the filmmakers to chart bold new territory.
To some, that may seem like blasphemy, but it again affords Michael much mystique. And knowing how the Shape has the ability to pounce with the reflexes of a puma, it seems only natural that whichever actor be under the mask make their kills believable.
Strangely enough, James Jude Courtney, who plays the horror icon for much of the picture, actually learned his technique from a real hitman! Hey, if you’re going to borrow from somebody, then I guess you’d better borrow from the best, right?
Here’s what Courtney shared in that regard while speaking with Bloody Disgusting:
“I learned how to kill from a Mafia hitman who lived with me when he got out of prison. I was writing his life story, so he went to see the movie I did… it was called The Hit List. It wasn’t a big movie or anything and when we walked out he was like ‘Jimmy, it was a really nice movie but that’s not how you kill people.’ And I’ve been complimented many times here on set on how efficiently I kill and all I did was take what he taught me.”
As he continued, it became apparent that what he learned from his mentor of sorts carried over to the silver screen:
“My Mafia friend, he could walk into a place and tell you everything about people, what they did for a living, because his life depended on him reaching out that way. I think Michael Myers is the epitome of someone who can reach out and feel everything around him. And then hiding behind that mask makes it all the more private and personal. He’s a bad motherfucker, man. He’s a bad dude.“
I guess we’ll witness firsthand how Courtney’s preparation paid off when Halloween opens in theaters on October 19th.
