The move to streaming for the latest entry in the “Halloween” franchise is an exception to the theatrical windows established last year during the pandemic between Universal Pictures and select exhibition chains like AMC and Regal. An agreement was made between the studio and theaters where films grossing $50 million or more on opening weekend receive a 31-day window, while films below that threshold get a 17-day window. Universal previously opted out of this strategy for “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” which arrived in theaters and on Peacock simultaneously July 2. That sequel ended up pulling a worldwide box office total of more than $105 million.
Directed by David Gordon Green, “Halloween Kills” is the 10th installment in the series originated by John Carpenter and serves as a direct sequel to Green’s 2018 “Halloween.” It’s written by Green, Danny McBride, and Scott Teems. In 2018, David Gordon Green’s previous reboot “Halloween,” also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, earned more than $250 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing chapter in the four-decade franchise. Just over a month shy of the film’s release, the timing for the “Halloween Kills” announcement is roughly equal to the notice theaters had for “Boss Baby” hitting Peacock. No word yet from exhibitors, but there could be resistance ahead. “Halloween Kills” world-premiered at the Venice Film Festival. From IndieWire’s review: Tom Brueggemann contributed reporting. To the townspeople’s corporeal misfortune, the $159.3 million check — $255.6 million worldwide! — was cashed by a Hollywood where successful performances don’t get sequels, they get sagas. Where one film’s promise that “Evil dies tonight” runs headfirst into next year’s promise of a threequel, just you wait. And thus, returning director David Gordon Green is stranded at an impasse: If his narrative picks up right where it left off, his story must remain in neutral, withholding any logical continuation for 2023’s “Halloween Ends.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
