Michael Myers’ mask has become an iconic piece of horror cinema since its debut in 1978’s Halloween, with subsequent films seeing a number of different recreations of the disguise, ranging from acceptable to embarrassing. A new photo from the upcoming sequel gives audiences a good look at the new mask ahead of the film landing in theaters on October 19th.
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In addition to giving a good look at the new mask, the photo above also recreates a creepy moment from the original film where Michael kills a victim and stares at him, cocking his head slightly as if he is curious or perplexed about what he just did.
The original mask was famously a William Shatner mask which was distressed and modified to be virtually unrecognizable as the Star Trek actor. Subsequent films required special effects artists to attempt to recreate the look of the original, though the artists on the upcoming Halloween aimed to capture what that original mask would look like after 40 years of decay.
“The film takes place 40 years later, so you’re not going to have that same mask, it’s not going to be this pristine, beautiful thing that it was in 1978. You have to approach it from that standpoint,” makeup artist Christopher Nelson shared with Halloween News Daily. “I had 40-year-old masks that I studied and looked at how they broke down, how they wrinkled, how they did this and how they did that. I also took into account the context of the film. Where is the mask now and where has it been for these 40 years? Without revealing anything, I took that into context. I had hundreds of photos and books.”
The original mask was used in the first sequel, Halloween II, before it was retired.
“I mostly really wanted to capture that feeling you got when you saw Michael Myers,” Nelson pointed out. “I was also talking to [director] David [Gordon Green] about how we were going to shoot it, and being very careful about it, very strategic about it, looking back at [original film director John] Carpenter and [director of photography] Dean Cundey and how they did that. That’s how I approached the mask.”
The iconic mask isn’t the only thing returning for the new film, with original director and co-writer John Carpenter serving as executive producer while stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle are returning to reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and the masked Michael Myers. This new film will be Curtis’ fifth film in the series, though this sequel will be Castle’s first return to the series since 1978.
Check out Halloween when it lands in theaters on October 19th.
How do you feel about the mask in this new film? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
[H/T Fandango]
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Image Courtesy of DreamWorks
