Rohan Campbell, star of Halloween endswas warned by director David Gordon Green that he could face backlash for his role in the film. Halloween ends marks the thirteenth and final episode of the Halloween trilogy started by the director in 2018. While it is believed to be Laurie Strode’s last appearance, it may not be the end of Michael Myers. Groen also directed Halloween (2018) and Halloween kills (2021). Halloween ends released on October 14 in theaters and on Peacock. At the register, Halloween ends made less than initially predicted, but still managed to break a streaming record for Peacock.
The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and James Jude Courtney, actors who are of course well known to fans of the franchise. But in an unexpected move, Halloween ends added Campbell to the mix as Corey Cunningham, a brand new lead character. Many were surprised, confused and even upset that a new main character was last introduced Halloween movie when they expected it to mainly focus on Laurie Strode (Curtis) and Michael Myers (Courtney) having one last fight. Corey has a lot of screen time in Halloween endssurpassing even that of Michael Myers himself.
Now Campbell shares with Variety that Green went out of his way to warn him that he would get a lot of hate for his role in the film. Even Campbell himself was unaware of how prominent Halloween ends would show him – before reading the script for the first time, he assumed his character would die on page 10. He was cast three years ago and had to keep his role a secret the whole time, because Green didn’t want to give away the bold text screenwriting and casting choice. But once the film came out and fans learned of Campbell’s prominent role in the film, Green predicted that some fans would be angry with Campbell. Check out Campbell’s quote below:
“When David offered me the part, he said, ‘I want you to know that a lot of people are really, really, really not going to be happy with what we’re choosing to do here. You’ll probably hear a lot about that.’ Jamie [Lee Curtis] reached out and said the same thing.”
Why Corey is a divisive addition to Halloween endings?
Fans and critics alike ended up criticizing how heavily the film focuses on its new characters. Green’s prediction was correct – Campbell’s character, in particular, was the focus of many of the reactions. Many have commented that the film feels unfocused, which makes them feel lost in terms of figuring out the tone of the film and what it was actually about. Not to mention that Michael Myers barely had any screen time himself. Some have even gone so far as to say that the movie doesn’t even feel like it was part of the… Halloween franchise at all.
That said, some fans and critics actually found the film’s departure from the franchise’s patterns refreshing. They found making such a bold choice a risky move that ultimately paid off and made for a more interesting film. Corey’s role also underlined some key themes of the franchise, so while he may have been divisive, he still managed to be an integral part of Michael Myers’ saga. Regardless of whether Halloween ends Truly the last film in the franchise, it will certainly be remembered as one of the series’ most divisive entries.
Source: Variety
