John Carpenter's original 1978 classic horror movie, Halloween, has spawned a grand total of ten feature films, including the most recent remake and its sequel from cult-film director Rob Zombie, in 2007 and 2009 respectively. As far as controlling the direction the franchise has taken in the past twenty years, Dimension Films, owned by The Weinstein Company, has overseen franchise installments since the sixth film in the franchise was released in 1996.

Given the continuing popularity and iconic status that the Michael Myers characters still has in the contemporary horror genre, the status of the next Halloween movie is not something that fans will take lightly. As such, the latest news surrounding studio ownership of said property is sure to raise a few viewers' eyebrows.

As first reported by Bloody Disgusting, Dimension Films no longer holds the rights to the feature film property, leaving the Michael Myers character open for sale and profit to any studio eager to produce the next Halloween movie. Currently, Malek Akkad, whose family has been tied up in the franchise since the film executive was a young boy, will produce the next film with Miramax, though a distributor is still being sought.

Michael Myers in Halloween

Following the exit of The Weinstein Company from overseeing the property moving forward, the previously announced Halloween Returns, which was was set to be directed by Marcus Dunstan and co-written by Patrick Melton, is no longer an active project. Though whether or not a cross-over feature pairing the likes of multiple late-twentieth century movie monsters is now a possibility, à la Freddy vs. Jason, will depend on which distributor picks up the rights to the franchise next.

If New Line Cinema or Paramount Pictures were to pick up the property, the opportunities for a cross-over film featuring the likes of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kreuger, and Leatherface in a shared universe could become a reality for fans eager to see such a horror movie event. For now, the chances of bringing all of those monsters under one studio roof remain up to chance, and the tenacity and vision of those in control of purchasing the rights to said franchises.

NEXT: Horror Franchises That Refuse to Die

Stay tuned to Screen Rant for any and all further information regarding the Halloween franchise.

Source: Bloody Disgusting