‘Halloween’ Star Jamie Lee Curtis Still Doesn’t Like All Those Sequels

Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis isn't mincing words about her past entries in the series, where she's played Laurie Strode five times across two continuities.

"I haven't been in one in 20 years. I'm in this one simply because of what [director] David Gordon Green wrote," Curtis told BBC of returning to the franchise in her fourth sequel, which disregards everything except John Carpenter's 1978 original.

Curtis first reprised the role in 1981's Halloween II before going on to famously return to the series in 1998's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, briefly appearing in 2002 sequel Halloween: Resurrection by way of contractual obligations.

Because of Curtis' history with botched Halloween entries, she pointed to the involvement of Carpenter — on board here as executive producer and composer — as lending the Green-directed installment its credibility.

"The real stamp of approval is John Carpenter's, not mine," she said. "Because I made a couple of sh-tty ones."

Curtis raises particular issue with Resurrection, which retconned the definitive ending of H20 when it undid Michael Myers' death at Laurie's vengeful hands and revealed the costumed serial murderer had actually survived the encounter by switching clothes with a hapless paramedic. The 2002 film saw Myers track down Laurie at the sanitarium where she was institutionalized, ultimately stabbing and killing her by dropping her off a roof.

"Did you see Resurrection?!" Curtis said. "Halloween II wasn't great. H20 was okay. Resurrection is a piece of sh-t. But the seal of approval was John Carpenter."

The newest Halloween marks Carpenter's first involvement with the franchise since 1982's Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the only series entry not to involve Michael Myers, where Carpenter acted as producer. The last film he had a large amount of creative say in was Halloween II, which he scripted with Halloween co-writer Debra Hill but did not direct.

"I don't care," Curtis said when the question was raised about some moviegoers potentially being skeptical about the 40-years-later sequel differing from Curtis' past returns to Laurie Strode.

"What can I do? I'm not going to try to dissuade someone from a feeling. There have been some terrible movies made, I understand that," she said. "My goal was to show up with integrity, to show up and tell the truth about what happened to Laurie."

Halloween has since opened to mostly positive reviews, earning a certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The franchise revival looks to scare up an opening weekend haul in the neighborhood of $65 million domestic.