With Halloween is one of horror's longest-tenured franchises, and is to some the gold standard of the slasher sub-genre. The Halloween name carries with it a storied legacy of films, some great, some good, some terrible, some just okay. That's why it bothered so many fans that Halloween 2018 chose to retcon every sequel, remake, or spinoff that had come before.
Still, it can't be argued that Halloween 2018's reboot gambit didn't work out, as critics praised the film and it became a box office smash. Blumhouse and Universal have since greenlit two follow-ups, 2020's Halloween Kills, and 2021's Halloween Ends. Both are set to hit theaters in October of their respective years, but given the Coronavirus outbreak causing mass delays in Hollywood, it's becoming unclear whether Halloween Kills will indeed arrive as scheduled.
That aside, it's been teased via set photos that Halloween Kills will include a flashback to Michael Myers' original 1978 killing spree in Haddonfield. It remains anyone's guess exactly what the flashback will reveal, but regardless, the sequence needs to incorporate classic Halloween character Dr. Loomis.
Why Dr. Loomis Should Cameo in Halloween Kills
The widely held belief that Halloween Kills will include a flashback scene traces back to some set photos that appeared to show Michael walking down a Haddonfield residential street with a pristine white version of his mask on, not the weathered version he sports in Halloween 2018. A boy resembling Lonnie Elam can also be seen in the photos. This would mean that we're seeing a different perspective on or portions of Michael's 1978 murders that weren't shown in John Carpenter's original film.
If that's the case, this sets the table for Dr. Loomis to appear at some point during Halloween Kills' flashback scene, whether he has any direct interaction with Michael or not. Obviously, Donald Pleasance is no longer alive, but that doesn't mean the role couldn't be recast with a lookalike and/or soundalike actor, with the character not being shown in too much closeup detail to maintain the illusion. Loomis was the only major Halloween character to not return for the 2018 version, and now that the quasi-reboot is a success, it's time to pay tribute to a man who was instrumental in making the film legendary. Even if we only heard previously recorded lines from Pleasance, while seeing Loomis from the back chasing after Michael, it would still be a moment that would make Halloween fans grin from ear to ear.
