While the Halloween films are most identified with the masked killer Michael Myers, there’s another character just as intricately tied to the franchise. Laurie Strode, played throughout the original films by Jamie Lee Curtis, first appeared in 1978’s Halloween and went on to define everything a final girl–the last surviving female horror movie victim that becomes the hero–could be.
While Curtis appeared in a number of films throughout the franchise, many wondered if she’d ever return to Halloween when it was announced Blumhouse was resurrecting the series. Interestingly, it sounds as if the movie wouldn’t have happened without her.
When asked if it would have been possible to do a new Halloween without Curtis reprising her role, producer Bill Block is blunt. “It’s a ten-second business conversation, and the answer is, ‘you can’t,'” he said.
After all, it’s not as if you can simply recast someone else in such an iconic role. “We needed her or what else you’re going to do?” director and co-writer David Gordon Green wondered. “I mean, you could make a cast list, but you’d just roll your eyes at it. She’s the only Jamie Lee, so she’s the only Laurie Strode.”
For Jason Blum, another producer, as important a piece as Curtis was of the puzzle, there was one person’s involvement he found more necessary. “We weren’t going to do the movie without John [Carpenter],” he explained. “I hoped that Jamie was going to do the movie and prayed. But if she didn’t, if she had said no, we would have.”
However, according to Blum, there was a stipulation on Carpenter’s involvement–Curtis signing on. “John said something interesting when we were talking before,” Blum added. “He said he might not have, and if he dropped out, we would have dropped out. So maybe it would have been a whole different thing if she had said no.”
In the end, fans should be thankful that Curtis loved the script and was willing to return to the role one more time. After all, if Blumhouse hadn’t been the ones to bring Halloween back, someone would have eventually. And instead of what reviews are calling a great entry into the larger franchise, we could have ended up with another Halloween: Resurrection.
Halloween is in theaters on October 19.
Source: GameSpot
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