Halloween icon John Carpenter reveals conditions for horror movie return

John Carpenter would "love to direct again" for the right project.

The 77-year-old horror icon - who is famous for his work on the likes of 'Halloween', 'Assault on Precinct 13' and 'The Fog' - hasn't been behind the lens for a film since 2010's 'The Ward', but he isn't ruling out another movie in the future.

He told Variety: "Plans? I don’t know. I would love to direct again, given the right circumstances.

"But I’m not the same kid anymore who will do it for any amount of money. I can’t back into a budget anymore.

"I’m too old. It’s too hard. But directing is the love of my life. I’ll never stop loving that.”

However, Carpenter noted how Los Angeles - and Hollywood itself - has changed over the years.

He said: "In terms of the business, I accept that it’s filled with pirates. It’s also filled with very good people, people who love movies, people who love working on movies.

"That’s the people I’m hanging out with. I can’t say enough. And no one’s paying me. This is how I feel.

"The studios aren’t what they were. They’re kind of these old bones of dinosaurs sitting there. It’s sad now. This is not the business I got into. But the pull of it, the attraction, the legend of it stays the same."

Carpenter - who remotely directed a 2023 episode of Peacock series 'John Carpenter's Suburban Scream's - previously opened up on his desire to return to directing for "a little horror film" or "big adventure film".

He told Collider in 2019: "I don't have one scheduled but I’m working on things. I made a lot of movies and I got burned out and I had to stop for a while. I have to have a life.

"Circumstance would have to be correct for me to do it again. I’d love to make a little horror film that would be great or a big adventure film.

"It would be a project that I like that’s budgeted correctly. Nowadays they make these young directors do movie for $2 million when the movie is written for $10 million. So you have to squeeze it all in there and I don't want to do that any more."

Meanwhile, he also reflected on how the horror movie genre has evolved while still being a constant in the world of cinemas.

He explained: "Genres always change. Horror has been with cinema since the very beginning and every generation makes it with their own sensibilities and fears.

"It will always be with us because every human being is scared. We were all born afraid. We’re afraid of our own death - every fear you have I have.

"It’s universal. Humour isn’t always universal. Fear is. That's why horror is so incredible."