John Carpenter Drops Shocking Revelation on Why His Franchises Are Destined for an Epic Crossover

Summary

John Carpenter explains that his franchises probably won't cross over due to different entities owning the rights to the movies, which could result in expensive lawsuits.

Carpenter has successfully launched several franchises such as Halloween and Escape from New York. During a panel discussion at New York Comic Con, the director expressed his concern about the potential legal complications that could arise from featuring characters like Snake Plissken in a horror film.

During a panel at New York Comic Con, John Carpenter candidly explained why the franchises he has created are unlikely to have crossovers. With his iconic contributions to the horror and science fiction genres, Carpenter directed the initial Halloween film, which has since expanded into a vast franchise consisting of 13 movies and the possibility of a forthcoming TV adaptation. Currently, Carpenter has directed a total of 18 theatrical features, including his recent return to directing with an episode of the Peacock series Suburban Screams in 2010.

We had the privilege of attending John Carpenter's panel at New York Comic Con, where he addressed the topic of potential crossovers and quickly dismissed the idea. Carpenter elaborated that his franchises are under the ownership of different entities. Therefore, if, for instance, Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken character from Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. were to appear in a horror film, the respective owners would be displeased, potentially leading to legal action. Carpenter expressed his aversion towards legal disputes by stating, "when they get mad, they'll sue me, I don't like that."

The issue lies in the ownership of rights for different movies. If I were to feature Snake Plissken in a horror film, it would inevitably provoke discontent and potential legal action, which is something I strongly dislike.

John Carpenter's Franchises Explained

Though mostly recognized for his work on original films, John Carpenter has also had a hand in several franchises throughout his career. While Escape from L.A. stands as his only directorial sequel to one of his own movies, he has played a significant role in the Halloween franchise. This includes co-writing the screenplay for Halloween II and contributing to the soundtrack of not only that film but also Halloween III: Season of the Witch and the latest Halloween trilogy directed by David Gordon Green.

Apart from those two franchises, Vampires stands as the only other legitimate franchise to originate from Carpenter's works. The 1998 film was succeeded by two direct-to-video sequels, Vampires: Los Muertos and Vampires: The Turning. Additionally, his 1982 remake of The Thing From Another World, titled The Thing, did receive a directly related prequel in 2011, also titled The Thing. However, no further entries have followed under that title.

Aside from remaking The Thing, John Carpenter also took on the task of remaking the 1960 British classic Village of the Damned in 1995 and co-composed the score for the 2022 remake of Firestarter. Furthermore, some of his own movies, such as Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, and The Fog, have been remade as well. While this collection of franchises and various IP projects may seem extensive, the intricate rights associated with them have hindered any real possibility of a significant crossover.