Halloween Kills Producer Disappointed Paul Rudd Couldn’t Return As Tommy
Halloween Kills producer Malek Akkad opens up about his disappointment Paul Rudd couldn't return as Tommy Doyle and praises Anthony Michael Hall. Tommy Doyle first made his debut in the Halloween franchise with John Carpenter's 1978 original film as one of the children being babysat by Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode who is afraid of the boogeyman and is the first to see Michael Myers and would later help Dr. Loomis find the killer as he is attacking Laurie. Tommy would later return in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers as an adult still living in Haddonfield who becomes obsessed with Myers following the events of the prior two films and vows to protect Jamie Lloyd's baby from both the killer and the Cult of Thorn.
David Gordon Green's 2018 Halloween reboot would effectively retcon the sixth film out of existence and instead serve as a direct sequel to the original film with Laurie now suffering from PTSD and hunting down Michael after his escape from a mental asylum transfer bus. Tommy is returning in Green's sequel Halloween Kills with the new face of Anthony Michael Hall, with the character now described as simply a survivor of the original events who elects to lead a mob to hunt down Michael and kill him once and for all. Though the new films may have retconned the old sequels, the casting choices weren't always going to see a similar approach.
While speaking with Screen Rant at a press roundtable for Halloween Kills, producer Akkad opened up about his disappointment Rudd couldn't return as Tommy Doyle. Akkad recalls how Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers marked both his and Rudd's feature debuts and that he was "excited" at the prospect he could return, though did shower praise upon Hall for his performance as the Myers survivor. See what Akkad said below:
“Yeah, that’s a great question, I was so excited to have Paul reprise that role and would have been wonderful in a way. Like you said, that was my first producorial role and even in the casting of Paul, I remember it just like it was yesterday. He hadn’t done a film, I’m pretty sure it was his first film at that point, so we’re both kind of starting and what a spark he had, then you know the difficulties we had on six — don’t get me started — but it would have warmed my heart and definitely there’s some disappointment there.
But I ultimately think that Anthony Michael Hall fulfills this role in a way that’s maybe less jarring for the narrative and maybe won’t take people out of it. Because Paul Rudd is so big for a lot of things like comedy and whatever, he’s a fantastic actor, I think it turned out this way for a reason and we’re so excited. Anthony Michael Hall does a knockout performance, it’s definitely gonna be one of the fans' favorites.”
Despite the shift away from the critically derided sequels of the past, there were originally plans for Rudd to star in Halloween Kills as Tommy, reprising his role from The Curse of Michael Myers. However, due to his busy schedule with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Rudd was unable to return with Hall receiving his blessing to carry on the role. Akkad's comments about Rudd's inability to return is sure to align with fans of the Halloween franchise, namely as Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers has built a cult following in the years since its panned debut thanks to the Producer's Cut.
Akkad's praise for Anthony Michael Hall's performance in Halloween Kills should also come as a comforting note for those disappointed with Rudd's absence. Though the film has seen an early mixed reception from critics, Tommy's return certainly has plenty of anticipation from longtime fans of the horror franchise alongside other legacy characters. Only time will tell which star audiences prefer when Halloween Kills hits theaters and Peacock on Friday.