Jason Blum is a horrible producer. Horror-ble. There’s my totally original opening gambit.
As CEO of Blumhouse Productions, Blum has a lot on his plate. At any point in the year, chances are he has a project or two in the works. Today, we’re looking at the upcoming twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Kills, which is one such project.
In a new interview with io9, Blum discussed his trepidation before the film’s test screening, prior to which he hadn’t had a chance to watch it in its entirety. Now that he’s seen the full movie, though, he’s feeling a lot better about its prospects.
“So we finished the second one and we’re about to start the third one. I just saw the second one. It’s pretty good. I worried about it until I saw [the second one]. And David [Gordon Green, director] worried about it. That it would feel like, remember Lord of the Rings? Like you weren’t getting [the full story]? It doesn’t feel like that at all. [Halloween Kills] feels like a complete movie. There’s a first, second, and third act. It has a big end. You still know from the end of the second movie where the third movie is going, but the second movie ends in a totally satisfying way. So it doesn’t feel like, you know, that Lord of the Rings issue that they had.”
I get what he means about the Lord of the Rings conundrum of releasing a sequel that feels less like a film in its own right and more an installment without a conclusion (yet). Whether this assuages your fears (if you have any) about Halloween Kills rests on how much you trust him, though.
I would say that most producers are unlikely to trash their movies before they’ve come out, as that doesn’t tend to boost commercial prospects. It’s actually quite refreshing to see a higher up open up about their anxieties this far ahead of release then, as well as displaying modesty. I’ll take nerves and “it’s pretty good” over meaningless corporate waffle designed only to let as little slip as possible every time.
In any case, we’ll find out whether his Halloween Kills fears were justified, or if it can deliver the satisfying ending he alludes to on October 16th – its US release date. Till then, you’re stuck with me, Blum, an empty pack of party rings and a wistful gaze into the yet-to-be. Your patience will be severely tested.
