Halloween3-d

Well this is an interesting turn. Just last week Scott wrote about how Dimension already had their heart/bank accounts set on a Halloween 3 to be written and directed by someone who wasn't Rob Zombie (yay!). Now less than a week later, Variety is reporting that director Patrick Lussier is set to deliver Michael Myers in the third dimension by fall 2010. If that's true, the My Bloody Valentine 3D director has a cramped schedule over the next year; last week it was also announced that Patrick Lussier was taking the wheel on Drive Angry, a 3D revenge film starring Nicholas Cage for Nu Image/Millenium films.

Obviously making two films in a year is not unheard of, but the Variety vouched Lussier Halloween 3D attachment sounds a bit dubious. For one thing, both Bloody-Disgusting and Dread Central are clarifying that Lussier is merely "in talks" with Dimension for the gig. So either someone has jumped the gun, most likely in a bid to move the project along, or Michael Myers stabbing the audience is a bit more concrete than it was no less than seven days ago.

And in related Dimension news, the very same Variety article says that Skeleton Key writer Ehren Kruger has been hired as the screenwriter for a remake of Children of the Corn, which is an entirely different project from the Syfy channel remake of Stephen King's short story set for release in the next few months. The popular trade magazine quotes Harvey Weinstein as saying, "Ehren wants to hit it hard. It's popular in Hollywood to say you re-envisioning a project but a lot of the time they're just carbon copying the original. We are bringing something new to the story."

Commence holding breath in 3...2...1...

Good news and bad news, horror freaks ... although of course your mileage may vary on both. Despite the fact that Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 opened in third place this weekend, its $17 million haul was obviously enough to keep the Weinstein brothers happy. In a (very) recent article in the L.A. Times movie section, it was announced that Bob Weinstein and Dimension are planning to move forward with a Halloween 3-D, which will arrive in theaters almost precisely a year from today.

I call that the bad news, but really, not all that bad, since I've spent most of my life sifting through horror sequels, and I call that fun. The good news? "Weinstein said Rob Zombie, who directed "Halloween II" and 2007's reboot of the 31-year-old horror series, won't return for "Halloween 3-D." He said the studio is in negotiations with a new director, whom he declined to name, who has experience in horror and has a "different take" on the franchise." (Again, full article here.)

While a more naive horror fan would say "Ugh, just leave well enough alone already," I'm old enough to know that there will always be new remakes, new sequels, and new sequels to remakes of sequels. At this point I'm just hoping that the Weinsteins are out to hire A) a young director who really wants to prove him/herself, or B) a veteran who simply knows how to deliver a few solid scares. The last Halloween movie I liked came out in 1981, y'know.