Jamie Lee Curtis is making a comeback to the Halloween film series after a 20-year absence, but the actress is adamant that it is not a franchise. Speaking to the BBC, the 60-year-old star clarified: “Halloween was made in 1978. There was no franchise. It wasn't a franchise. And it isn't a franchise. It is a series of films.”
Curtis returns as Laurie Strode in the 11th instalment, drawn back by director David Gordon Green’s script. She acknowledges past entries were subpar, saying: “I made a couple of [rubbish] ones. Halloween II wasn't great. H20 was okay. Resurrection is a piece of [crap].” However, she emphasises that John Carpenter’s involvement as composer and executive producer gives the new film credibility.
Reviews for the latest Halloween have been mixed, though some critics call it the best in years. USA Today noted a “new coat of paint” on the horror series, while Forbes praised Curtis’s performance but found the storyline “depressing”. Curtis remains unfazed by scepticism, stating her goal was to show up “with integrity” and tell the truth about Laurie’s fate.
When asked why she returned to a familiar brand rather than a new horror film, Curtis pointed to her age: “Yeah, but they're not going to, I'm 60 years old. They're not going to come to me with a new idea for something at 60.” She described herself as a “freelance up-for-grabs unemployed actor” who had bills to pay when the phone rang.
Curtis added that this film has brought unprecedented attention, surpassing all her previous work: “With all of the films I've made... I've never had the level of attention I've had for this movie.” She also noted that British journalists sometimes ask whether to address her as Baroness Haden-Guest.
