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Imagine being a horror fan and telling yourself,You know what?
I want to make a Halloween movie.
Somehow, that plan actually worked.
Inthe 2018 version ofHalloween, Michael Myers never made a break for it.
But this time, Laurie isnt just ready for him.
As I was leaving a screening for the movie a guy next to me shouted Halloweeeeen!
and then he said he wanted to go jerk off into a jack-o-lantern.
So I think he liked it![Laughs.]
Thats the reaction we were looking for!
I dont think we ever turned our fan side off.
The fact that were filmmakers, we understood how we could translate that.
For me, I like having that long sequence work.
Michael walking from house to house, murdering people!
Every time I see that secret entrance open up it just like makes me giddy.
I love shit like that in movies, and even just her going through the house and stalking Michael.
Michael Simmonds, who shot it, I think he made the movie look so beautiful.
Those scenes just lit by just the flashlight, I love stuff like that.
Even the way David covered it reminds me of the climax ofSilence of the Lambs.
Wheres he coming out?Its just fun [laughs].
Ive read, too, that you continued rewrites all the way through production.We never stopped writing.
Even when we were shooting, we were constantly changing things and evolving things.
I would make that character not do that here, and be able to adjust things.
We havent really had that before on anything weve worked on.
She was always just so kind and embracing of what we were trying to do.
When we were auditioning for the gig we knew that we had to get through Carpenter first.
Then the next one was like, Weve got to get through Jamie.
We have to show her why it would make sense for her to step back into this again.
So we set the goal of lets make this worth her time.
Lets not just bring her back to pass the baton on.
Lets make this story about her.
So we just never accepted a version of this movie that she wasnt going to be in.
We just put all of our efforts into crafting Laurie in a way we hoped would appeal to her.
Horror is built on well-worn tropes, and thats not a bad thing.
What happens after thats done?
The crux of thisHalloweenis really the three generations of Strode women dealing with this trauma together.
Thats the beauty of David, and thats what I like about what he brings to drama or comedy.
Then Laurie now has met Michael Myers, and this is what shes become.
Its the other women shes involved with.
Its kind of hard to put it all into words.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
