Why isn’t Paul Rudd reprising his role as Tommy Doyle for Halloween Kills? Rudd memorably played Tommy in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the sixth film in the horror franchise. Halloween Kills will be the first of two planned sequels to 2018’s Halloween. The movie is set for an October 2020 release and the following installment, Halloween Ends, will premiere October 2021.

Tommy Doyle was first introduced in John Carpenter’s original Halloween (1978) as the eight-year-old boy that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) regularly babysat and was there when Michael Myers attacked. He returned in 1995’s Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers played by Paul Rudd, now a recluse obsessed with Michael Myers and his bloodline. Tommy found the child of Jamie Lloyd, Laurie’s daughter, and vowed to protect him. He also got involved with the Strode family and assisted Dr. Loomis after the man came out of retirement to find Michael. Due to the popularity of Rudd’s portrayal, there was hope that the actor would return for Halloween Kills, but Anthony Michael Hall has officially been cast as Tommy Doyle for the 2020 sequel.

However, things almost went differently for Halloween Kills. In July, it was reported that Rudd had been approached to reprise his role for David Gordon Green’s sequel. According to the Sneider Cut podcast, the creative team wanted Rudd for the part but his schedule forced them to look elsewhere. That scheduling conflict is due to Rudd’s involvement in Jason Reitman’s upcoming film, Ghostbusters 2020. The Ghostbusters sequel is currently filming in Calgary and Halloween Kills is set to start production this fall.

At this point, it’s unclear how prominent the role of Tommy Doyle will be in Halloween Kills. Seeing as 2018’s Halloween served as a direct sequel to the original film, Rudd’s expansion as the character was retconned. The franchise now has a clean slate to work with through Tommy’s character. He will most likely interact primarily with Laurie as the two have shared trauma. It will certainly be interesting to see if he spent his life preparing for Michael’s return, just as Laurie did.

The news that Rudd will not be appearing in Halloween Kills might be a disappointment for some fans, and rightfully so. It would have been a fun connection to the franchise and an amusing full-circle moment. When Rudd starred in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, it was just his second career acting gig, following his breakout role in Clueless. From there, his stardom continued to rise, and now, he’s one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. Who knows, maybe there’s room for Rudd to face off with Michael Myers down the line in an original role.

Next: Every Upcoming Horror Movie Franchise Reboot

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