Miramax Secures TV Rights for ‘Halloween’ Franchise.
Miramax has emerged victorious in the competitive race to secure television rights for the iconic “Halloween” horror franchise, potentially bringing Michael Myers’ chilling exploits to the small screen or various streaming platforms. According to an insider familiar with the matter, Miramax outbid other contenders, including A24, to secure these rights.
The auction was orchestrated by Trancas International Films, led by Malek Akkad, which holds authority over the franchise’s television rights. Given that Miramax jointly owns the film rights with Trancas, it is a logical step for them to actively pursue the opportunity to extend the “Halloween” universe to television. Furthermore, this horror franchise has proven immensely profitable for Miramax, a studio also producing the “Scream” film series.
This acquisition follows closely on the heels of the removal of Miramax CEO Bill Block, who presided over a less-than-impressive string of film releases, including “Confess, Fletch,” and “He’s All That.” Miramax is co-owned by the beIN Media Group, holding a majority stake, and Paramount Global.
In contrast, A24, which boasts a more prominent profile than Miramax, had previously acquired television rights to the “Friday the 13th” series and has experienced success in the horror genre with releases like “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” and the darkly comedic “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Bloody Disgusting first reported this information.
With his notorious masked appearance, Michael Myers has become a horror icon, leaving a trail of victims across 13 feature films. After a brief hiatus, Blumhouse and Universal enlisted David Gordon Green to craft a new trilogy of films, reviving the franchise and reuniting it with the original star, Jamie Lee Curtis. The most recent installment, “Halloween Ends,” premiered in 2022, raking in an impressive $105.4 million at the box office.
While financial specifics of this television rights deal remain undisclosed, it is worth noting that Michael Myers, the knife-wielding serial killer at the franchise’s core, made his first chilling appearance in John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic, “Halloween.” Beyond cinema, Myers has also made spine-tingling appearances in comic books and novels.
