John Carpenter’s slasher classic Halloween is making its way back to drive-in theaters across the U.S. starting this weekend. Not only is the original 1978 movie that brought Michael Myers to life for the first time returning to the big screen, but Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers are also slated to hit the drive-in circuit as well.
According to a new report, the movies will be playing at drive-ins starting this weekend leading up to Halloween night on October 31. People who wish to see the movies at their local drive-ins are encouraged to reach out and request that they book showings. Fittingly, John Carpenter’s iconic horror hit got its start by playing at drive-ins upon its original release. Now, more than 40 years later, everything has come full circle. Halloween (2018) producer Ryan Freimann had this to say about it.
“Trancas International Films and Compass International Pictures have partnered with CineLife Entertainment in order to bring Halloween to audiences safely during this time of pandemic, and drive-in theater owners seem excited to be booking it as the Halloween season is right around the corner.”
The digital print of Halloween has been restored and remastered under the supervision of cinematographer Dean Cundey. The rollout is beginning small. Locations showing the movie this week include Hummel’s Drive-In in Winchester, Indiana, as well EVO Entertainment in San Antonio and Austin, Texas on 7/31. Drive-ins in Nashville, Tennessee (Montana Drive-in), Buffalo, New York (Kane Family Drive-in), Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut (Pleasant Valley Drive-in) and Westtown, New York (Warwick Drive-in) have also booked the movie for its special engagement.
Theaters in the U.S., and throughout much of the world, have been shut down since mid-March. Prior to that, drive-ins were a relic of the past that, at very best, were considered a niche market. But with few other options available, that sector of the movie business has seen an unlikely resurgence. They have accounted for the vast majority of the box office in recent months and it is believed that they will be a fixture of the industry for the foreseeable future.
This comes at an appropriate time. Originally, Halloween Kills, the sequel to 2018’s Halloween, was scheduled to hit theaters in October. Unfortunately, due to the theater closure, Blumhouse and Universal decided to push the release back by a full year. This re-release of the original, as well as the fourth and fifth entries in the franchise, can help to fill the void.
Halloween is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It spawned one of the most successful horror franchises in history, generating more than $600 million in revenue at the global box office. 2018’s Halloween went on to become the highest-grossing slasher ever, overtaking Wes Craven’s Scream. Aside from Halloween Kills, another sequel, Halloween Ends, is also on deck for release in 2022. This news comes to us via HalloweenMovies.com.
