Fan films to our favourite franchises continue to be popular on YouTube, with Halloween Aftermath, a continuation of the Halloween Kills storyline, recently starting a crowdfunder campaign.
We caught up with director James Grim to spill the beans on his interpretation of Michael Myers.
Can you tell us when you started to create Halloween Aftermath?
Cole Tatham and myself started throwing around ideas as far back as 2022 while we were still in production for a Friday The 13th Fan Film called My Special Boy. We discussed even creating a fan follow-up to Rob Zombies Halloween 2. Maybe one day haha.
Do you see this as an alternative to people who took exception to Halloween Ends?
As much as I love Ends, I’m very aware of how a lot of fans feel towards that film. We’re trying to give Michael a proper send off with this film. I truly feel a lot of fans are going to be happy with how Michael will be portrayed. The Shape has a lot of unfinished business in Haddonfield.
What makes Aftermath a different story to Ends and how does it map together with 2018 and Kills?
This film opens up moments after Karen gets killed. We start off in the Myers house with him exiting and heading for his newest victims. After the opening minutes, we have a two year time jump. Aftermath is different in that The Shape is the only antagonist in the film. We have the lead character, Cole Dalton who’s very similar to Corey Cunningham. While there are similar parallels between the characters and many fans will compare the two, Cole is his own person and you’ll see that throughout the story. When one monster vanishes, Haddonfield attempts to make a new one in Cole Dalton.
What sort of Michael Myers do you have in Aftermath. Is he the visceral monster of Kills or more methodical like the classic Myers?
This Michael is very angry and extremely visceral. We didn’t want to make him over the top like in Kills. He’s a good blend of 78/2018 Myers with a splash of Rob Zombies Myers. A good balance of methodical meets sheer brutality.
What are some of the perks of your crowdfunder campaign?
As of this writing, we have 10 days left and we’re nearly 75% funded. We’re offering Blu-rays, 4K Blu-rays, screen-used items and much more. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/halloween-aftermath–2/x/20000731#/discussion
You have previously worked on Friday the 13th fan film, My Special Boy, what did you learn from that experience that you will take into Aftermath?
Working on MSB taught me a lot about film in general. Of course, that film had some setbacks with things like budget, covid, etc. It helped open my eyes in that if this is something I love and really want to pursue, take it seriously, do my homework, and surround myself with people who want to see my vision come to life. And that’s what I’ve done with Aftermath.
Why do you think fan films of our favourite franchises are so popular right now?
I think right now is a special time for fans and fan films. We’re currently getting some high-quality films like the Never Hike films, It’s Me, Billy, and plenty of other fan films that are rivalling studio quality on a micro-budget. These are films for fans, by fans. And I’m sure you know and feel somewhat the same in that we’re always craving more content from our favourite horror IPs.
We’ve had news recently on the Halloween TV series, what would you like to see featured?
I’m a huge fan of Halloween III so if they can tell a story about the origin of Silver Shamrock dating back to the Celtic times, I’m all for it. From what I’m gathering though, they’re gonna do something with Haddonfield and something that will include more Myers-related content. I understand why as Michael is the appeal and I’m on board for that direction as well.
Find out more about Halloween Aftermath on Indie GoGo.
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