Jason Blum is a hero to many aspiring filmmakers, an industry maverick whose unique model for producing quality horror movies quick and on the cheap revolutionised Hollywood. Blumhouse Studios is responsible for The Purge and Insidious franchises and now boasts and Oscar Winner on its roster with Get Out. The studio seemed an ideal location for a Halloween reboot 4 decades in the making, but Blum revealed the project has been no walk in the park.
When cornered by Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, Blum was surprisingly candid:
“Well it came with a lot of baggage. We never worked on a project that there have been this many of [laughs].
Paranormal Activity I think was the most there were only five before. In Halloween there were like nine, depending on how you count. So I think there was a whole lot more emotional baggage and weight to it. So that made it more fraught and more fun.”
Blum also talked about the budget his company invested in Halloween 2018:
“Well our rule is… not to split hairs. But our rule is on originals it’s $5 million or less. But on sequels, we tend to spend $10 or $15 million, which is still low budget by Hollywood standards, but big budget for us.”
Halloween slashes into US Theaters beginning October 19th, timed to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of John Carpenter’s original Halloween, released in 1978. Give the trailer and synopsis a whirl below.
Synopsis:
A British documentary crew comes to the States to visit Michael in prison for a retrospective of the maniac’s night of terror — but their project becomes way more interesting when Myers escapes custody, retrieves his signature mask and seeks revenge on Laurie, with others naturally being part of his impressive career body count along the way. In the decades following the fateful Halloween night that forever altered the former babysitter’s life, Laurie has armed and prepped herself for Michael’s inevitable return — to the detriment of her family, including daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).
Words: Josh Millican (@josh_millican)
