Almost six years after Rob Zombie’s Halloween II hit theatres, plans are finally coming together for the next installment in the long-running horror franchise. As expected, Rob Zombie will not be involved and the new movie will not be a continuation of his rebooted series. Instead, Dimension Films and Trancas International Films have handed the reins over to director Marcus Dunstan (The Collector) with the goal of connecting back up with the continuity of some of the original Halloween films. The new movie will be called Halloween Returns. Bob Weinstein had this to say about the announcement:

“Michael Myers has taken a long break from the big screen, and we know fans are eager to see him return. We are excited to be back in business with Trancas and look forward to bringing one of the scariest installments of this classic franchise to audiences worldwide.”

Although no plot details have been officially revealed, over the weekend there were some rumours floating around about what the story might be. It is supposedly being envisioned as a standalone film, but it will also take place after the events of the original 1981 sequel. Shock Till You Drop is reporting that there will be at least one cast member from Rick Rosenthal’s Halloween II returning. The script for Halloween Returns was written by Dunstan and Patrick Melton (Saw IV to Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Piranha 3DD) and it starts production in July. Are you looking forward to the return of Michael Myers?