Tommy Doyle, the character Laurie Strode was babysitting in John Carpenter's 1978 classic HALLOWEEN, will be returning to the franchise in the upcoming sequel HALLOWEEN KILLS, and when HALLOWEEN KILLS was nearing production there was talk that director David Gordon Green might be casting Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle – allowing Rudd to reprise the role he played in 1995's HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS. Sure, HALLOWEEN 2018 (which was also directed by Green) was a a direct sequel to the '78 original and ignored the events of THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS and all of the other sequels, but when you have a chance to cast Paul Rudd you cast Paul Rudd. It helps that Green and Rudd previously worked together on the 2013 film PRINCE AVALANCHE. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Rudd had to opt out of HALLOWEEN KILLS due to a scheduling conflict with his work on GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE.
The Tommy Doyle role ended up going to '80s icon Anthony Michael Hall… and during an interview on the Fantasm Podcast, Hall revealed that Rudd got in contact with Green to pass along his Tommy Doyle blessing to Hall.
One day, David Gordon Green texts me when I'm off, I wasn't shooting that day, and he goes, 'Yeah, I got a call from Paul Rudd, and he sends his best and he gave his blessings. He's really excited that you're playing the part.' I never met Paul Rudd, but I thought that was really nice."
Hall went on to say,
I worked with a lot of the actors who were in that first film and they were all super cool. It was really great. I think fans are going to really like this film, it's really intense, it's really good."
His co-stars in HALLOWEEN KILLS include Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, Nancy Stephens as Nurse Marion, Robert Longstreet as Lonnie Elam, Charles Cyphers as Leigh Brackett, Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace, and returning HALLOWEEN 2018 actors Judy Greer as Laurie's daughter Karen, Andi Matichak as Laurie's granddaughter Allyson, Dylan Arnold as Allyson's boyfriend / Lonnie's son Cameron Elam, and Jibrail Nantambu as Julian. Original Michael Myers performer Nick Castle is in the cast, possibly making another masked cameo like he did in HALLOWEEN 2018, and Myers is primarily being played by James Jude Courtney again.
One new addition to the cast is child actress Victoria Paige Watkins, playing a character named Christy.
Written by Green, Danny McBride, and Scott Teems, HALLOWEEN KILLS is set to reach theatres on October 16, 2020.
Another sequel will be following one year later – Green will soon be going into production on HALLOWEEN ENDS. Scripted by Green, McBride, Paul Brad Logan, and Chris Bernier, that one is scheduled for an October 15, 2021 release.
Malek Akkad is producing these films with Jason Blum and Bill Block. Green, McBride, and Curtis serve as executive producers alongside John Carpenter and Couper Samuelson. Carpenter will also be composing the score.