John Carpenter’s New Halloween Song Is Here, And It’s Terrifying

Michael Myers in Halloween

If there's one trend that is dominating the filmmaking world (besides superheroes), it's nostalgia. Moviegoers long to return to a simpler time, resulting in a ton of previously completed properties being brought back to life, and making tons of money in the process. This includes the horror genre, although it's one that has always relied heavily on sequels. Legendary horror house Blumhouse has had a ton of hits with movies like Get Out and Don't Breathe, and now the studio is turning its head on the classics with the upcoming Halloween sequel. Plenty of franchise icons are returning for the flick, including Jamie Lee Curtis and OG Michael Myers Nick Castle. John Carpenter is also returning to the property he helped create, composing a new terrifying theme song for Blumhouse's Halloween. That track was just released, and it's truly scary. Check it out.

Lock your doors and hide your babysitters, because Michael Myers is back. And if John Carpenter's new theme song is any indication, the upcoming Halloween will be truly horrifying, and prove why the mysterious masked villain has remained at the center of the genre for decades.

This new theme song starts off simple enough, all but identical to John Carpenter's iconic original theme song. The Halloween song is extremely iconic, and has been used as countless ringtones (including even Jamie Lee Curtis herself). But rather than simply repeating the same few notes, Carpenter made a ton of changes to his theme for the new movie. Around the 1:00 mark the theme takes a turn, and the acclaimed director/musicians makes changes to the Halloween theme song. The pace is increased, the sound is more harsh, and it's bone chilling to listen to the track in its full. And if the song is any indication, Blumhouse's Halloween is going to scare the crap out of people when it finally hits theaters in a few weeks.

John Carpenter's involvement in the new Halloween is no doubt a major selling point for hardcore fans of the franchise-- even if he's not once again stepping behind the director's chair or writing the script. But filmmakers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride got Carpenter's blessing (and even some advice) for the project. And the fans followed suit.

Excitement for Halloween has been steadily building since both the project and Jamie Lee Curtis' return were announced. Curtis' Laurie Strode is the OG scream queen, and helped craft the archetype of the final girl. Danny McBride and David Gordon Green are massive fans of the original Halloween, and are taking most of their inspiration for the upcoming sequel from John Carpenter's legendary slasher. Additionally, Halloween is ignoring all of the franchise's many sequels, changing the canon in the process. Aside from making the new sequel more accessible for casual moviegoers, this also gave the filmmakers the opportunity to craft a totally new story, and a new version of Laurie Strode. This Laurie has been waiting 40 years for her mysterious attacker to return for revenge, and she looks like a total badass in the first footage and images.

It should be interesting to see what Halloween does with the iconic characters, and how the upcoming sequel utilizes John Carpenter's new theme song. Given how terrifying this new track is, it'll no doubt be able to set the mood, and keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

All will be revealed when Halloween arrives in theaters on October 19, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.