Jamie Lee Curtis did not return for Halloween 4, which marked the return of boogeyman Michael Myers. After the failure of the unrelated Halloween 3, the fourth film went back to the basics of the original without the iconic character of Laurie Strode.
When producer Moustapha Akkad decided to continue the franchise that he helped create in 1978, the horror landscape had drastically changed. By the mid 1980s, American pop culture had fully embraced horror films, saturating the market with merchandise and television shows. Akkad watched as the very films that had been influenced by Halloween continued to create successful sequels and offshoots. Both Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street had pushed their brands into toys, books, and television shows in addition to multiple film continuations. Akkad was determined to do the same with Michael Myers, who had met a fiery death at the end of Halloween 2 (1981).
When talk of bringing boogeyman Myers back to the big screen began, original star Jamie Lee Curtis had sworn off horror films. After her breakout performance in John Landis’ Trading Places in 1983, Curtis found high profile roles in other genres. The amiable ensemble comedy Grandview U.S.A. (1984) and the James Bridges drama Perfect (1985) had given her credibility as a marquee name. By 1986, when a new Halloween film was first being considered, Curtis was busy with several film projects. Both original director John Carpenter and original producer Debra Hill, who still owned interest in the property, were attached. Neither entertained the idea of contacting the actress, whom they had essentially discovered.
Why Jamie Lee Curtis Did Not Appear In Halloween 4
Akkad was not pleased with a script that Carpenter had collaborated on with novelist Dennis Etchison. The producer thought that the idea, which did not have a physical manifestation of Myers, was too cerebral for the typical horror audience. After both Carpenter and Hill sold their interest in the franchise, Akkad had screenwriter Alan B. McElroy (Wrong Turn) come up with a direct sequel to Halloween 2 that would bring back Myers – disregarding continuity. It was assumed that Curtis would not be interested in returning, so McElroy was given the difficult assignment of creating a follow-up without her pivotal Laurie Strode character.
The screenwriter, who was working quickly to avoid an impending writer’s strike in ‘88, came up with a treatment and finished script in a matter of days. It was decided that the new film would kill off Laurie in a car accident, shifting the focus to her daughter, now in the care of a foster family. Myers would now be in a coma after surviving the explosion at the end of Halloween 2, waking up as he discovers that he has a niece prime for stalking. Halloween 4 went into production just months after the script was finished in order to make an October release – celebrating the ten year anniversary of the original. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers debuted in October of 1988 and performed well at the box office.
While Curtis did not participate, Donald Pleasence returned to reprise his role of the beleaguered Dr. Loomis. Ellie Cornell was cast as the film’s final girl Rachel while child actor Danielle Harris made her film debut as Laurie’s daughter Jamie. Curtis, meanwhile, was enjoying success in A Fish Called Wanda, a sleeper hit that was released that August, but slowly made it to number one that September. She would return to the franchise again a decade later in the Dimension release Halloween: H20, as well as its direct follow-up Halloween: Resurrection (2002). Most recently Curtis returned as Strode in the Blumhouse blockbuster Halloween (2018). Its direct follow-up, Halloween Kills, is scheduled for release in October 2020, with Halloween Ends to follow in 2021.
