‘The Legend of Halloween’ Illustrated Children’s Book Announced

The Legend of Halloween has just been revealed to be an official children’s book adaptation of John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween that will be released later this year.

Written by David Gordon Green, co-writer and director of Halloween 2018 and its upcoming sequels Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, the new book is illustrated by fellow filmmaker Onur Tukel (Applesauce, Richard’s Wedding), with Trancas Films producers Malek Akkad and Ryan Freimann overseeing the project.

First teased earlier this week, The Legend of Halloween was officially announced this morning.

The rhyming kids book actually originated as a Halloween Kills wrap gift for the cast and crew.

“I have nine-year-old twin boys and I try to be somewhat cautious the content that the absorb,” Green tells Entertainment Weekly. “I thought this would be a fun way to tell the story and establish the world of Halloween that John Carpenter and Debra Hill started.”

“I’ve known him since my very first film,” says Green of illustrator Tukel. “We’ve been friends forever and I honestly didn’t know he was an illustrator for a very long time. When I saw some his work I was very impressed. We did a wrap gift for the crew on Halloween Kills and and the partnership just took off.”

UPDATE: Read on for the official press release.

Further Front Publishing today launched the illustrated story The Legend of Halloween, based on the original motion picture screenplay of Halloween (1978) from John Carpenter and Debra Hill. The new illustrated story is co-written by filmmaker David Gordon Green, who directed the 2018 Halloween sequel as well as the upcoming films Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, and Author/Director Onur Tukel (Applesauce, Richard’s Wedding) who also illustrated the book, while Malek Akkad and Ryan Freimann, producer and executive producer of the 2018 Halloween film and forthcoming sequels, are overseeing the production.

Originally premiered in the fall of 1978, Halloween inspired a generation of innovative horror films and a slew of franchise sequels and reboots. The Legend of Halloween follows the iconic villain Michael Myers as he wreaks havoc on his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, on Halloween night. Laurie Strode, originally portrayed by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, falls victim to the escaped killer, but manages to fight for her life and confront her new foe along the way.

Through eerie rhymes and quirky illustrations emulating the unsettling nature of the classic horror journey, Green and Tukel craft a reimagined telling of the beloved source material for longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise.

“Joining this iconic franchise has been one of the most fulfilling artistic endeavors of my career,” says David Gordon Green. “With this new chapter, we hope to share our own love for Halloween with a new generation of horror fanatics.”

“I saw the original Halloween when I was about nine years old and it scared the wits out of me. I’ve seen it about fifty times since then and it continues to be my favorite horror film. The mask, the music, the indelible characters, the monologues of pure evil – to me it’s cinematic perfection,” said Onur Tukel. “Collaborating with David on a children’s book adaptation of Halloween has been demented and surreal, kind of like being simultaneously possessed by Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and the demon Pazuzu.”

“The Legend of Halloween is a fun take on what has now become one of the most iconic films in cinematic history, John Carpenter’s Halloween,” says Malek Akkad, President of Trancas International Films which has produced Halloween (2018) and the upcoming Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. “The fans of these films have always been the driving force of the franchise, and I hope that they will appreciate this new book as much I do. It is fun for all generations of Halloween fans, young and old.”

“We are so excited to bring our new book to Halloween fans, both new and old,” says Ryan Freimann, SVP of Trancas International Films. “The story of Michael Myers is one that continues to haunt fans worldwide across multiple generations, and The Legend of Halloween is no exception.”

To be released in mid-November from Further Front Publishing, you can pre-order your copy at LegendOfHalloween.com. (UPDATE: Order your copy via Amazon here!)

You can see some first look images of the book courtesy of Entertainment Weekly in the gallery below.

(Click an image to enlarge and view in gallery browser.)

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