John Carpenter once stated his dislike of Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of Halloween. Carpenter, who directed the original 1978 film, felt that Zombie’s reinterpretation altered the essence of what made Michael Myers a compelling and terrifying character. While the remake delved deeply into Michael’s backstory, showing his troubled childhood and the events that led to his psychotic behavior, Carpenter believes this approach misses the point of his original vision.
Carpenter spoke about this in an interview back in 2016, saying:
“I thought he took away the mystique of the story by explaining too much about [Michael Myers]. I don’t care about that. He’s supposed to be a force of nature, he’s supposed to be almost supernatural, and he was too big,” Carpenter said during an interview. He emphasized that in his original film, Michael Myers was meant to be an enigma—an inexplicable, almost supernatural presence that defied rational explanation.
Carpenter also mentioned a personal issue with Rob Zombie, claiming that the director misrepresented their interaction. According to Carpenter, he was supportive of Zombie’s project, encouraging him to make the film his own. However, Carpenter later discovered that Zombie had described him as dismissive and cold, which Carpenter strongly refuted.
The two would eventually make up, with Carpenter saying:
To everyone fascinated with the JC/RZ feud, old news. We spoke Sunday, we buried the hatchet. Let’s move on.
— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) September 28, 2016
Rob Zombie was eventually asked about the topic and didn’t hold back, saying this in 2018:
“I kept being asked, ‘Hey, should we show this to Carpenter or so and so from the original and see what they think?’ And my response was just, ‘What the f*** do I care?’. When I get asked what my advice is in this business I tell people to just focus on what they want to do because if you start worrying about what other people think you are screwed [laughs]. I am oblivious to all that. I love Halloween and I wanted to do my own thing with it. Whether people like my Halloween or don’t like it is irrelevant to me. At least it has my own personal stamp on there.”
Despite their differences, both Carpenter’s original Halloween and Zombie’s 2007 remake have made significant impacts on the horror genre. Carpenter’s film is known for its suspenseful simplicity and Michael Myers as a mysterious force of evil, while Zombie’s version offers a more brutal, backstory-driven take. Each has its own appeal, contributing to the enduring legacy of the Halloween franchise.