Universal Pictures has revealed the first official trailer for Halloween Kills, the upcoming sequel to 2018's Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

The Halloween Kills trailer opens on Laurie Strode (Curtis) and her family following the events of the previous film, in which they seemingly killed notorious masked serial killer Michael Myers by trapping him inside their house and setting it ablaze. However, they soon learn the devastating truth: Michael is alive and his killing spree isn't over. Still determined to rid the world of Myers once and for all, Laurie declares, "Evil dies tonight."

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In addition to showcasing the return of Michael Myers and the ensuing carnage, the Halloween Kills trailer also features an unexpected shoutout to 1982's Halloween III: Season of the Witch. A number of Michael's victims are seen wearing Silver Shamrock Novelties' iconic Halloween masks (a pumpkin, a skull and a witch), which were central to Season of the Witch's plot.

This nod is surprising, as even before the Halloween franchise retconned its continuity multiple times, Halloween III never had any connection to the story of Michael Myers. A sequel to 1981's Halloween II, Season of the Witch was meant to turn Halloween into an anthology series comprised of standalone films. Plans for an anthology were abandoned after Season of the Witch underperformed at the box office, and the original story continued in 1988's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

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2018's Halloween acts as a direct sequel to 1978's Halloween, ignoring all the sequels and reboot films that were released in the interim. The revamped continuity is set to continue later this year in Halloween Kills, before reaching its ultimate conclusion next year in Halloween Ends.

Per an official synopsis for Halloween Kills,

In 2018, David Gordon Green's Halloween, starring icon Jamie Lee Curtis, killed at the box office, earning more than $250 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing chapter in the four-decade franchise and setting a new record for the biggest opening weekend in history for a horror film starring a woman.

And the Halloween night when Michael Myers returned isn't over yet.

Minutes after Laurie Strode (Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left masked monster Michael Myers caged and burning in Laurie's basement, Laurie is rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, believing she finally killed her lifelong tormentor.

But when Michael manages to free himself from Laurie's trap, his ritual bloodbath resumes. As Laurie fights her pain and prepares to defend herself against him, she inspires all of Haddonfield to rise up against their unstoppable monster.

The Strode women join a group of other survivors of Michael's first rampage who decide to take matters into their own hands, forming a vigilante mob that sets out to hunt Michael down, once and for all.

Evil dies tonight.

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Directed by David Gordon Green, Halloween Kills stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall, Kyle Richards, Robert Longstreet, Nancy Stephens, Charles Cyphers, James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 15.

Source: YouTube