Curiously, given that he’s better known as a director, and hasn’t scored a movie in sixteen years, few have had more influence on 21st century film scores than John Carpenter. The synth-heavy approach on the horror master’s movies was unfashionable for a long time, but a new wave of genre pictures like “It Follows,” “The Guest” and the like have turned heads with their Carpenter-evoking scores, even leading to a resurgence of interesting in the helmer’s music, leading to him releasing a couple of albums and playing music festivals.
But so far, Carpenter himself hasn’t returned to the keyboard for film work — his only movie in the past decade, “The Ward,” had a score by Mark Killian rather than the director himself. But hopefully, that’s about to change, with Carpenter potentially returning to the franchise that made him famous.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when it was announced that David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were writing a new “Halloween” movie together, with Gordon Green directing. But word was that Carpenter was on board with the idea, and a tweet from Jason Guerrasio (via Slash Film), who spoke with the “Stronger” helmer at TIFF, suggests that’s very much still the case, and that Carpenter could actually score the film. “Carpenter has seen the script, given notes, digs it. Still wants to do score,” the reporter reveals.
It seems that the elder director actually, hinted, when the project was announced, that he might be involved musically, but it was overlooked by many at the time, ourselves included. This is terrific news, though: those films haven’t quite been the same without Carpenter’s work echoing through them, and it’s good to know that he approves of the project enough to get his Korg out.
While things have been quiet on the project while Green wrapped up his Oscar-contending “Stronger” (read our review of that here), The Wrap spoke to “Get Out” producer Jason Blum, who suggests that things are still ticking forward with the new “Halloween,” and it should still make its release date, which is now a little over than a year away. Asked how sure he was that it would be ready in time, Blum told the site “You can kill me. You can behead me. You can chop my hand off, the prince of horror, you can cut my hand off. That’s on the record.”
Good news all round, then. Assuming Blum’s confidence isn’t misplaced, the new “Halloween” should start filming soon, and will open on October 19th, 2018. In the meantime, you can watch a new music video for the theme tune for “Christine,” directed by Carpenter himself, the helmer’s first non-documentary work since “The Ward.”
HALLOWEEN update from #TIFF17: David Gordon Green tells me John Carpenter has seen the script, given notes, digs it. Still wants to do score pic.twitter.com/Y29qnqxWXP
— Jason Guerrasio (@JasonGuerrasio) September 10, 2017