Rob Zombie to Direct the Next Halloween

Dimension Films announced that they will make a new Halloween movie with Rob Zombie (The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses) writing, directing and serving as a producer. Malek Akkad of Trancas International Films (Halloween: H20) will produce the feature along with Andy Gould of Vision Entertainment Group (The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses). Zombie will also serve as music supervisor on the film. Miramax Films will co-finance the development with Dimension Films. The announcement was made by The Weinstein Company co-chairman, Bob Weinstein.

Zombie's vision of this film is an entirely new take on the legend and will satisfy fans of the classic Halloween legacy while beginning a new chapter in the Michael Myers saga. This new movie will not only appeal to horror fans, but to a wider movie-going audience as well. It will not be a copycat of any prior films in the Halloween franchise. The film is set for an October 2007 theatrical release.

Bob Weinstein stated, "Rob Zombie is a gifted musician and performer as well as a talented filmmaker. His vision for this new 'Halloween' is spectacular and I am thrilled to be collaborating with him and to work closely with Malek Akkad to continue the legacy built by his father, the late Moustapha Akkad."

Zombie said, "I have been a huge, huge fan of John Carpenter's original film since its release. So when Bob Weinstein approached me about this, I jumped at the chance to join forces with Dimension Films on this amazing project."

The Halloween story began with the 1978 release of "John Carpenter's Halloween," executive produced by the late Moustapha Akkad, founder of Trancas International Films and became the highest grossing independent film of the time. Moustapha Akkad's son, Malek, is now taking some of the reigns on this new Halloween project to continue the outstanding work begun by his father. Malek Akkad stated, "Trancas is very excited to be working with Rob Zombie and producing another 'Halloween' with Bob Weinstein and Dimension, the home of the franchise for the last three installments. It will be a fitting and worthy tribute to my late father."

"I am thrilled to be working again with Rob and with Dimension Films on such an iconic project that will reinvigorate 'Halloween' and Michael Myers in a truly terrifying new way," stated Andy Gould, Rob Zombie's long time manager and producer of Zombie's two previous films.

An auteur filmmaker and music artist with shrewd insight and creative vision, Rob Zombie challenges audiences as he stretches the boundaries of film, music and publishing.

Zombie is the longest active artist on Geffen Records and has sold in excess of fifteen million records. He is currently on a sold-out nationwide tour for his latest gold-selling album, "Educated Horses." which debuted at number five on the Billboard Top 200.

In 2000, Zombie jumped from music to film with his directorial debut and cult smash hit, House of 1000 Corpses. Due to the film success Zombie returned in 2004 to helm its follow up the critically acclaimed, The Devil's Rejects. Zombie was hailed by critics and fans alike as a visionary filmmaker due to the film's uncompromising and wildly inventive exploitive throw-back style.

Prior to House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie directed dozens of high profile music videos. In 1995 Zombie won an MTV Music Video Award for "More Human Than Human," becoming the first self-directed artist to win such an award.

After the success of The Devil's Rejects, Zombie entered the world of animation with "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto" a feature length film in production at IDT.