Halloween Kills producer Malek Akkad explained why it would have been distracting had Paul Rudd reprised the role of Tommy Doyle in the upcoming slasher sequel.
Rudd made his feature film debut playing an adult Tommy in 1995's Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the sixth installment in the horror franchise. 2021's Halloween Kills sees Anthony Michael Hall taking on the character, who was first introduced as one of the children Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) babysat in the 1978 original. At a press event attended by Screen Rant, Akkad admitted it would have been "wonderful" had Rudd reprised the role in Halloween Kills, adding, "It would have warmed my heart and definitely there's some disappointment there."
Ultimately, however, Akkad felt Hall "fulfills this role in a way that's maybe less jarring for the narrative and maybe won't take people out of it." He added, "Because Paul Rudd is so big for a lot of things like comedy and whatever, he's a fantastic actor, I think it turned out this way for a reason and we're so excited. Anthony Michael Hall does a knockout performance, it's definitely gonna be one of the fans' favorites."
Halloween Kills sees an adult Tommy leading a mob of Haddonfield residents to hunt down and kill Michael Myers. Although the new trilogy ignores all of the previous sequels in the franchise, Rudd's potential casting would have been an exception. The Ant-Man star, who worked with Halloween Kills director David Gordon Green on the 2013 dramedy Prince Avalanche, declined to return as Tommy due to scheduling conflicts with Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Despite retconning the sequels from its storyline, Halloween Kills features many easter eggs and nods to previous installments. There's an unexpected homage to 1982's Halloween III: Season of the Witch, a sequel Green described as "underappreciated." Additionally, Halloween Kills nearly included a cameo from rapper Busta Rhymes, who co-starred in 2002's Halloween: Resurrection.
Meanwhile, Halloween Kills will feature the return of multiple actors from John Carpenter's slasher that started it all. Kyle Richards is reprising the role of Lindsey Wallace, one of the other children who Laurie babysat alongside Tommy. The sequel picks up immediately after the fiery conclusion of the 2018 reboot, which saw Laurie setting fire to her home with Michael trapped in the basement. Unfortunately for the town of Haddonfield, the latest installment finds Michael escaping to carry out yet another killing spree.
Halloween Kills slashes its way into theaters on Oct. 15 and will be available to stream on Peacock the same day.
Source: Screen Rant
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