This 'Halloween Kills' Teaser Trailer Lets It Burn, Reveals New Release Date

Among many other things, COVID-19 has decimated the movie industry. Production came to a screeching halt around the world and every major movie of the spring and summer, and most others as well, pulled their release. Some pushed back a few months, while others will arrive in theaters—in theory anyway—much later. One of those is the upcoming Halloween Kills. It is still coming, however, not until a year after originally expected. Along with a new release date of October 15, 2021, there’s also this new Halloween Kills teaser trailer.

2018’s Halloween, technically a sequel to the venerable slasher franchise as well as soft reboot, though uneven and misses some big opportunities, is also a ton of horror fun. It’s a crowd-pleasing murder-happy good time.

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This teaser trailer doesn’t show much, but it does indicate that Michael Myers is coming back, as well as other franchise faves like Jamie Lee Curtis. And isn’t it just like firefighters to do their job, extinguish a fire, and not allow a hulking mass murderer to burn to ash in the flames. Jerks.

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Director David Gordon Green also returns for Halloween Kills, which is the second in a proposed new trilogy. Along with this new release date, this teaser also comes with a message from Green and franchise originator John Carpenter that explains the delay.

It reads:

We write this to you heartbroken over the fact that the delay of our film is even a discussion, but if there’s one thing that a career in the film industry has prepared us for, it is the unexpected. Over the past few weeks, our film family has looked at the forecast of theatrical exhibition with obvious concern. We have discussed and struggled with how best to present “Halloween Kills” to the loyal fans around the world, as well as the new audience we hope to invite to this experience.  

It was a wild and vibrant production. We lined up a cast of legacy characters like Laurie and Tommy, Lindsey, Lonnie, Marion, Brackett and The Shape, then alongside some new faces, we aggressively made the second chapter of our “Halloween” trilogy. It unfolded into an experience that was a creative playground and we feel confident that our misfit pleasures will be seen as an unexpected entry into this franchise.  

If we release it in October of this year as planned, we have to face the reality that the film would be consumed in a compromised theatrical experience. After weighing our options, we have chosen to push the film’s theatrical release by one year.  

On top of a traditional release, Universal has agreed to an IMAX presentation of the film in October 2021. We are sound mixing with one of the greatest design teams that can slash, scream and creep their way under your skin. We’re going to have time to complete the film with the quality that fans deserve. And preparation on “Halloween Ends” has begun as well. 

It is an honor to be working with these characters and spending time in Haddonfield. We look forward to sharing our next chapters with you. 

David Gordon Green and John Carpenter 

So, there you have it. Halloween Kills slashes into theaters on October 15, 2021, and you may also be able to check it out on an IMAX screen. That sounds terrifying.