For nearly 50 years, most Halloweenmovies have focused on Michael Myers’ victims rather than the man himself. For the upcoming video game, players will step into the Shape’s shoes and lumber their way into the events of the 1978 film.
To celebrate the spooky holiday, developer Illfonic talked up the game’s single-player story, aka “The Night He Came Home Reimagined.” In it, players will get to inhabit “critical moments” referenced but not seen in the first Halloween, such as Michael’s escape from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and Phelps’ garage. (The video below features concept art of those two locations, plus a hardware store stocked with Halloween items and the Rabbit in Red Lounge featured in 2007’s Halloween reboot). Illfonic wants these moments to function as “supplemental material” that builds onto the movie and are joined by wholly new scenes and locations that introduce “Heroes of Haddonfield” that’ll be playable in the multiplayer mode, which pits four of them against Michael.
Halloween is Illfonic’s first true go at making a single-player mode, and its blog mentions the “commitment to delivering a compelling and authentic offering that matches the meticulous cadence of the original film,” including narration from recurring franchise staple Dr. Loomis. The studio also promises “fresh twists” to the movie’s events, such as multiple endings determined by how players make their way through Haddonfield and potentially other factors like the game’s different difficulties or sub-objectives achieved.
If killing it up as Michael Myers sounds at all fun to you, you’ll have to wait a while for Halloween—it’s releasing September 8, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The latest movies to come back to theaters are the Halloween franchise, which makes sense since it’s spooky season. But instead of just the original film or the more recent trilogy, we’re getting three installments that’ve been surprisingly grouped together.
Along with the original 1978 Halloween, both Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween5: The Revenge of Michael Myers are also coming back to the big screen. The trio’s cinematic return comes courtesy of Trancas International Films and CineLife Entertainment.
While the press release features quotes from CineLife and Trancas executives about the franchise being perfect for the season and the joy of the cinematic experience, the reason for this specific trio is a bit confounding. Trancas has been involved with the Halloween films since the first movie—the second and third films being the sole exceptions—but that’s the only real link between these movies.
The two Halloween sequels take place a decade or so later from the original movie, with Michael Myers—played by George P. Wilbur in 4 and Donald L. Shanks in 5—waking up from a coma at the start of each film and spending both of them trying to kill his niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). Both films are part of the “Thorn Trilogy” arc that’s mostly explored in the sixth film, 1995’s The Curse of Michael Myers. Neither Return nor Revenge was critically well-regarded upon release, but of the two, Return has been looked at more favorably in the years since.
You can head to the theater to see the first Halloween, Return, or Revenge in select cities. The first film is screening starting tomorrow, September 19, and the re-releases are expected to last through the end of October. You can check local showtimes here.
Play it on: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox Current goal: Make my stronghold a little nicer
If I’m honest, most of my gaming time this weekend will probably go, once again, toward the incredible UFO 50. (I now have my first two cherry carts!) However, it’s probably time I start mentioning other games on occasion here in the Weekend Guide, so instead I’ll talk about something else I’ve been playing lately, Pillars of Eternity, the 2015 fantasy CRPG from Obsidian Entertainment which follows in the footsteps of genre-defining classics like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. It’s absolutely epic in scope, immediately thrusting you into a world with its own rich, captivating history and lore—a world we’ll soon get to revisit in Avowed—but it’s also intimate and personal, with exceptionally well-written characters navigating life in a world filled with conflict and strife.
Early on, your character is awakened to their skills as a Watcher, someone who can see and interact with the souls of others. This not only allows for some great fantasy RPG plot hooks, but also brings the history of the game’s world to life in a way it otherwise wouldn’t be. You might, for instance, encounter someone who, in a past life, was part of the marauding hordes driving others out of their homes, and see how their soul was marred by the trauma of participating in something so monstrous, or you might be pulled into the experience of someone who was persecuted by those hordes. William Faulkner famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” It’s true of our world, I think, and in Pillars of Eternity’s Eora, you really feel the way that the past lingers, shaping and haunting the present.
Of course, all the great pleasures of CRPGs are here—gorgeous lands to explore, engaging tactical combat, epic quests—and all of that is crucial to what makes Pillars of Eternity so exceptional. But for now, I’m particularly smitten by the writing, so smart and so rich, and characterized by a tremendous respect for the player, trusting us to come to grips with the world and its history upon being thrown in head-first, and trusting us to appreciate its profound thematic depth without needing to spell things out for us or lampshade what it’s doing. It’s so great to encounter genuinely mature writing in a game, especially when it’s married to gameplay as rich and captivating as what’s on offer here. — Carolyn Petit
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Kenneth Shepard, Carolyn Petit, Zack Zwiezen, Ethan Gach, and John Walker
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice andBluey fever join horror classics and spooky lore-inspired collections at major home decor retailers and seasonal pop-up giants Spirit Halloween and Party City.
Halloween’s niche in horror fandom has expanded way beyond October 31, so it makes sense that home decor and goods inspired by scary movies, classic monsters, and supernatural legends are becoming more and more a staple of everyday life. Hey—if the comic book and sci-fi nerds do it all year, so can the spooky season folks. What’s so shocking, however, is that Halloween teases are now dropping so soon after July 4. In previous years, anticipation for stores to fill their shelves with orange-and-black delights got more of a chance to build, at least until back-to-school aisles were cleared. And while some retailers are apparently still checking the calendar—including Target, which has thus far kept its Halloween collection under wraps—if you visit the sites or even locations for the Disney Store, Lowe’s, Spirit Halloween, Home Depot, Party City, Michaels, At Home, and Joann, you can start shopping pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and more.
You’ll have to be quick though! Early-bird horror fiends are already raiding the aisles—as are re-sellers intent on snatching up any items with the potential to go viral and become the Halloween must-haves for 2024. That’s why so many are sold out in the middle of summer—though most will be re-stocked, so if you see something you can’t live without, get on those alerts so you’ll be first in line when it returns. And keep in mind what’s been dropped so far isn’t everything; there’ll be more as we get closer to fall. The Disney Store just started its release schedule with The Haunted Mansion collection but has more planned in the coming weeks. And Beetlejuice stuff has begun to trickle out to retailers like Spirit Halloween—witness this giant inflatable at Party City of the circus carousel ghost with the most—but it’s worth noting that so far it’s only been product from the iconic first film. We have yet to see anything from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but it’s definitely coming. Tim Burton fans will be happy to learn that The Corpse Bride will be a huge feature at Spirit Halloween as will slashers like Scream and John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise. Home Depot will feature the Universal Monsters, the not-so-scary (but clear-cut kid favorite) Bluey, and more Nightmare Before Christmas with that 13-foot Jack Skellington animated statue (which we hope comes with a Sandy Claws outfit for Christmas).
But what if you don’t need pop culture splattered all over your seasonal decor? Fans of supernatural folklore, witchy classic literature, kooky familiars, sentient pumpkins, and paranormal specters aren’t getting left behind either. Michaels, At Home, and Joann Fabrics have some deeply aesthetic collections of their own out to shop that aren’t IP at all but will make your abode feel supremely haunted. We particularly love the Midnight Moon and Haunted Forest collections at Michaels that harken to some classic monster and A24 atmospheric vibes. Then for those into astrology, traditional Halloween, and graveyard goth, definitely look into the drops at Joann and At Home (but shout out to these awesome Jack Skellington pieces). And lets not forget Lowe’s truly epic aquatic horror line. There’s a huge front yard Kraken that’s already hard to get your hands on, because who doesn’t want to release the Kraken for Halloween?
There’s already something for everyone and picking a theme is going to be so hard this year! Let us know if you’ve managed to secure anything already or if you’re going to wait and show up only to find Christmas aisles in September. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Cheech and Chong, the comedy pair famous for their albums and movies from the 1970s and ‘80s, will be added to Call of Duty as part of the upcoming Season 3.
This Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Feature Spices Up A Weak Campaign
An iconic stoner duo, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin don’t seem like the kind of guys who would grab M4s and shoot people. The two created films and comedy routines focused on hippies, free love, drugs, and counterculture ideas. But the Activision machine demands more and so in they go, with the publisher confirming in a new blog post that the duo are heading to Call of Duty Warzone, Warzone Mobile, and Modern Warfare 3 sometime next month.
While we don’t yet know officially when the duo will be playable in Call of Duty’s various multiplayer offerings, other weed-inspired cosmetics and a “Blaze It Up” event seem to point toward Cheech and Chong arriving on or around April 20, aka 4/20.
Here’s how Activision, a very large and not-at-all hippie-like corporation, describes the two and the new cosmetic pack in the lengthy blog post:
Forged in the counterculture revolution, yet armed with drive and creative power, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin turned cultural friction into comedic success. Facing systemic barriers with humor and cannabis, the duo exploited adversity to bring underground voices into the mainstream. Chong’s ingenuity and Marin’s heritage primed them for fame, while their comedic chemistry made them icons. Their albums and films exposed injustice with subversive joy, pioneering stoner comedy and becoming symbols of irreverent truth.
I know some will get a kick out of this, giggle about all the weed content, and not think much more about it all, and that’s fine. But I just keep getting sadder and sadder as I watch all of pop culture and entertainment slowly consume itself and we get closer and closer to a future where everything is one big grey blob owned by WarnerBros Disney Fox Universal Monsanto Sony Tencent Apple Microsoft.
Sure, it’s silly that I can watch Ariana Grande fight Goku and Michael Myers in Fortnite. But watching all art get chopped up and chucked into the never-ending maw that is the metaverse makes me really sad, man. I miss when stuff was distinct and unique.
Season 3 of Call of Duty Warzone, Warzone Mobile, and Modern Warfare III starts April 3 on all platforms.
You could practically hear Michael Myers (now around 65 years old) telling Art the Clown and the various baddies (no spoilers) from Barbarian, The Invitation and Smile to get the hell off his lawn. Despite concurrent availability on Peacock, Universal and Blumhouse’s Halloween Ends opened on target with $41.25 million in its debut Fri-Sun frame. I’ve read chatter elsewhere that the Peacock factor hurt the film’s theatrical reception and that somehow this poorly reviewed, willfully divisive franchise-ender (for a franchise that has ended before and everyone knows will eventually be restarted) was supposed to open closer to $55 million. However, recent ‘fine, whatever’ trilogy enders like Fifty Shades Freed, Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker and The Maze Runner: The Death Cure opened with 80% of their respective predecessor’s opening weekends. Halloween Ends pulled 84% of Halloween Kills’ $49 million domestic launch.
Not every ‘it all ends here’ finale plays like Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows part II or Avengers: Endgame, especially with poor reviews and nothing new to offer. Some successfully sell the ‘end of an era’ hook. The critically acclaimed and unique (due to its real-world template and R rating) Logan parlayed Hugh Jackman’s last ride (uh…) into an $88 million Fri-Sun opening compared to $85 million for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and $53 million for The Wolverine. Right or wrong, if Marvel thought merely offering Deadpool 3 was enough to make it an event, they wouldn’t have coaxed Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine back into the saddle. Even Breaking Dawn part II earned about what the earlier Twilight Saga sequels made ($281-$300 million) in North America, with the same over/under $140 million opening weekend as New Moon and Breaking Dawn part I.
Did Halloween Ends, which promised a finale to the Michael Myers/Laurie Strode saga, lose a few bucks this weekend by being available on Peacock? Well, it was their most-watched movie ever in a two-day period. However, even a 10% bump is $45 million, which is the same ‘hold’ on opening weekend as Jurassic World Dominion ($145 million) compared to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($148 million). That a poorly reviewed threequel to Halloween, following the poorly reviewed Halloween Kills, was never going to somehow approximate the lightning-in-a-bottle arrival of Halloween ($77 million in 2018). Such thinking made up my villain origin story in the days of ‘Pearl Harbor will surely top $100 million over Memorial Day!’ and ‘Book of Shadows will open with $30 million!’ There’s a reason I tend to be the guy saying, “Wait… let’s cool our jets here.”
As with most biggies in the Covid era, what happened happened and couldn’t have happened any other way. The Matrix Resurrections was always going to be a commercial miss, with or without HBO Max. Black Widow was never going to get anywhere near $1 billion worldwide, nor was Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984. David Gordon Green’s Halloween Ends opened with $41.25 million this weekend, which is the third-biggest R-rated opening of the Covid era (since Bad Boys For Life in January of 2020) behind Jordan Peele’s Us ($44 million last July) and Halloween Kills ($49 million in October of 2021). The earlier two Halloween movies (even the 2018 one with great reviews and oodles of free media attention) were painfully frontloaded ($159 million from a $77 million debut and $92 million/$49 million), so we can expect likewise this time too.
We’re still talking about a $33 million R-rated slasher threequel that had already earned $58 million global (including $3.5 million in IMAX) and should reach over/under $80 million domestic and around $115 million global. The Blumhouse trilogy cost about $63 million in total and should crack $500 million globally in the end. This is a franchise that, before 2018, had exactly one (Halloween H20 in 1998) well-liked and well-received (by the masses) installment. All due respect to the various champions of Revenge of Michael Myers, Curse of Michael Myers and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, but Michael Myers spent even the 1980s taking a pop culture backseat to the likes of Fred Krueger, Jason Vorhees and Chucky. But now Michael Myers is currently the most profitable (budget versus gross) supernatural horror slasher of all, almost entirely due to the Blumhouse trilogy.
This marks the 16th #1 opening for Blumhouse (including Freaky, which did not get a day-and-date Peacock/theater release). Universal has four of this year’s 12 $40 million-plus openings (Halloween Ends, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Jurassic World Dominion and Nope). That’s more than any other studio and sans any Marvel/DC properties. Even with Paramount PARA offering up a breakout horror hit right when Universal starts to get cocky (A Quiet Place in early 2018, Smile three weeks ago), the Comcast CMCSA -owned studio still is the unofficial king of the horror movie mountain (see also: The Black Phone), which feels appropriate since they helped invent the modern horror movie with their 1930’s Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy and Invisible Man flicks. I wish their Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights mazes were anywhere near as immersive and scary as Knotts Scary Farm (or at least had a Minions maze), but I digress.
The only other major opener was the platform debut of United Artists’ Till. The well-reviewed and Oscar-buzzy (especially for Danielle Deadwyler) historical drama concerns the infamous murder of Emmitt Till, whose slaying (and much-publicized open-casket funeral) was one of the galvanizing moments of the Civil Rights movement. The Chinonye Chukwu-directed drama earned $240,940 from 16 theaters for a $15,059 per-theater average. It has a 100% fresh and 7.9/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, with 95% among verified users and, uh… 76% among unverified users (cough-review bombing-cough). It will expand next weekend into 150-200 theaters before going wide (alongside Tar) on October 28. Speaking of Tar, Cate Blanchett’s conductor drama expanded to 32 theaters. The Focus Features release will earn $360,000 (+127%) this weekend for a $10,000 per-theater average and $585,000 ten-day total. The Banshees of Inisherin opens in limited release next weekend.
