A few days ago, a video went viral with John Carpenter revealing his thoughts on Rob Zombie and his rendition of Halloween.
Here’s what the director initially said:
“He lied about me. He said I was very cold to him when he told me he was going to make it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I said, ‘Make it your own movie, man. This is yours now. Don’t worry about me.’ I was incredibly supportive. Why that piece of shit lied, I don’t know.”
The blunt remark caught fans and horror insiders off guard, as Carpenter typically avoids personal drama in public forums. But it also reignited a long-standing debate among Halloween fans about Zombie’s 2007 remake and its drastic tonal shift from Carpenter’s original 1978 classic.
As many fans waited for Rob Zombie to respond, John Carpenter decided to clear the air once and for all. On Twitter he posted,
To everyone fascinated with the JC/RZ feud, old news. We spoke Sunday, we buried the hatchet. Let's move on.
— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) September 28, 2016
Carpenter’s original Halloween helped shape the modern slasher genre with its minimalist style, slow-building suspense, and the eerie silence of Michael Myers. Rob Zombie’s reimagining, on the other hand, leaned heavily into graphic violence, a grimy aesthetic, and a deeper — some would argue unnecessary — exploration of Myers’ childhood and psychological trauma.
Zombie had previously suggested in interviews that Carpenter was dismissive of his vision for the remake, portraying the veteran director as cold or unsupportive. Carpenter’s recent comments directly contradict that narrative, making it clear that he felt betrayed not just by the film itself, but by how he was portrayed in the media.
So, there you have it. John Carpenter and Rob Zombie moved on, so let’s do the same.