While original performer Nick Castle will play Michael Myers for a couple of scenes in Halloween 2018, actor James Jude Courtney played the role for the majority of filming. The Halloween franchise has become famous for rebooting or retconning itself, and the timeline is now so tangled it’s near impossible to unravel. The new Halloween from Blumhouse will work around that by ignoring all previous movies bar the original; that said, co-writer Danny McBride says the new movie will also pay homage to the sequels.
The movie will also see the return of some beloved series vets; Jamie Lee Curtis will once again play Laurie Strode, series creator John Carpenter will return to compose the score, and original Michael Myers performer Nick Castle will once again don the mask. Castle is easily considered the best actor to play the role, and it was his eerie turn that made Myers so chilling in the original.
News of his return got a lot of people excited, but in a new interview with Halloween Daily News, actor James Jude Courtney explains that he and Castle both shared the role onset. Courtney is a veteran actor and stuntman, and had been playing Michael when director David Gordon Green invited Castle to set to play the character for a couple of scenes:
Courtney later clarified the scenes would be intercut between shots of the two playing Michael, and that reports Courtney would only be acting as a stunt double on the film were incorrect.
And David was also really sensitive and generous when he said, ‘We’re inviting Nick Castle to come back to do a little work. Do you have a problem with that, because you’re the Michael Myers now?’ And I was like, ‘Oh my God. Are you kidding? What an honor it would be, first of all, to meet the guy, but secondly to work with him. How good does that get?’
So we started work, and I can’t remember if it was the second or third week that Nick came in and did kind of a cameo. He did a couple of scenes, and I’m in the scenes with him, which is really beautiful. He and I were hoping that would happen, because he even said, ‘This is the passing of the torch.’
We met with foreign journalists on the set, and Nick was so super gracious and just saying, ‘Look, I’ve come in to do a cameo. Jim is our Michael Myers now.’
It will be interesting to see how the split between the two performers works out in the movie itself. The new Halloween takes place 40 years after the original, meaning Myers will be around 61 in the new movie. Courtney doesn’t reveal any new details about the storyline, but confirms its respect for the original movie and that fans will very happy.
That’s correct, exactly. The thing is – I didn’t look at any press while I was working. I just wanted to stay focused. But I started reading this thing about my being his stunt double. I mean, Nick is 5’10, 170lbs, and I’m 6’3, 210lbs, so… (laughs) I think that’d be really difficult to pull off. Nick was very gracious.
Halloween 2018 is one of the most anticipated horror movies of the year, and it will be out in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise. There’s no word on if Blumhouse is planning on making a long-running franchise from this new sequel, but it appears the movie will be a one-off for the creative team involved, with Curtis being adamant this will her last time playing Laurie Strode.
More: Halloween 2018 Could Kill Michael Myers For Good
Source: Halloween Daily News
- Halloween Release Date: 2018-10-19
