Brian Truitt | USA TODAY

USA TODAY

Classic horror villain Michael Myers returns in a new Halloween. Unfortunately for him, so does Laurie Strode.

Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her “final girl” role for the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter’s original 1978 fright fest. But in director David Gordon Green’s follow-up (in theaters Oct. 19), the tables have turned a bit: Laurie has been preparing for a rematch with the iconic knife-wielding masked psycho, and when he stalks her again in suburban Haddonfield, Ill., she’s as ready for him as he is for her.

RYAN GREEN

In the first film — the actress' Hollywood debut — “she was running for her life,” says Curtis, 59. “In this case, she is well-matched, she is prepared, she is focused. She will be the one people are standing behind when that moment comes, because she’s the one ready.”

RYAN GREEN

Produced by horror guru Jason Blum, the new Halloween brings back Laurie and Michael but also leans into pop culture’s current fascination with true crime (see also: Making a Murderer, Serial). A British documentary crew comes to the States to visit Michael in prison for a retrospective of the maniac’s night of terror — “Someone has to bring a modern audience into a 40-year old movie,” Curtis says — but their project becomes way more interesting when Myers escapes custody, retrieves his signature mask and seeks revenge on Laurie, with others naturally being part of his impressive career body count along the way.

In the decades following the fateful Halloween night that forever altered the former babysitter’s life, Laurie has armed and prepped herself for Michael’s inevitable return — to the detriment of her family, including daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).

“We’re being very honest and truthful about that, how it would affect the upbringing of her daughter, who has a lot of conflicts because of her mother’s obsession with this incident, and her granddaughter, who’s trying to connect” with Laurie, Green says.

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Her community is also a little wary of Laurie. “It becomes a little bit ‘The British are coming!’ and everybody just gets tired of it,” Curtis says. “It’s the girl who cried Michael, and they’re all like, ‘Oh, my God, Laurie, shut the (expletive) up.’ And that’s why I like where we find her.”

As for Michael (Nick Castle, the original Michael, and James Jude Courtney split the role), nothing has changed too radically, though his new mask is a bit more weathered and reflective of the antagonist's “authentic evolution” over four decades, Green says. “He’s the essence of evil, so we don’t want to get too much into the specifics of what makes him tick. So much of what makes the boogeyman horrifying to me is the mystery and almost cat-like mannerisms and curiosity of this character.”

RYAN GREEN

The Halloween franchise spawned seven sequels — plus a two-movie reboot from Rob Zombie — but Green has essentially thrown out all those in favor of establishing a fresh mythology built on the original 1978 movie. (Carpenter also returns as executive producer and composer.) When Green studied the franchise as a whole, he says, “I started finding limitations instead of opportunity, and thinking, ‘If there was a little bit of a clean slate to take it in a direction I selfishly as a huge Halloween fan wanted, where would I go?’ ”

That streamlining was one of the main reasons Curtis signed on to return, and she finds the follow-up to be “simple, clean, scary and excellent.” She also remains hugely proud of her character and this horror show.

“I recognize that it will be my biggest contribution,” Curtis says. “Despite writing books for children, all of my advocacy, all of my politics, all of my own personal journey, my legacy will be Halloween.”

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Exclusive photos: Jamie Lee Curtis' history of 'Halloween' horrors