Nick Castle talks all things Halloween with some behind-the-scenes at the mo-cap studio
The Halloween Team has seen how excited fans have been about the announcement of Nick Castle’s involvement in Halloween. We know the community has a great deal of questions about his role in the project and we had the privilege of talking with the “OG Shape” himself about returning to Haddonfield to be a part of this game.
We feel so honored to be involved in Halloween, nearly 50 years since the film’s original release. Nick shares that sentiment and genuinely couldn’t imagine he’d be stepping back into the role of Michael all this time later. He jokingly remarks, “I was just hoping the film would help John get another job.”
It’s clear when talking to Nick that there was an immense amount of joy and dedication from everyone involved to translate the iconic cinematics to the video game world. The mo-cap session was a prominent example of these commitments. Nick discussed how much fun he had recreating the signature movements like Michael’s intimidating walk and his unforgettable head tilt. With Nick stating, “Well, it did make me go watch the movie again to see just what the hell I did that contributes to the success of the character.”
Stepping back into the Shape’s shoes came with some help from new talent. The team is proud to announce that prolific actor and stuntman TJ Storm worked alongside Nick Castle to bring Michael to life in the game!
“The folks creating the game wanted the character to be as authentic as possible and I did my best to capture the original movements. It was fun to do and I had a great time with the team.”
When asked about what it was like to work alongside TJ, Nick states that he was a, “real sweetheart. Very professional and takes his job seriously.” We were also told that TJ is a great listener and incorporated Nick’s suggestions into his work
Bringing the Boogeyman back to Halloween is being made possible thanks to the efforts of the original director John Carpenter and long-time producers of the Halloween franchise Malek Akkad and Ryan Freimann. Nick and John remain close friends and regularly hang out off camera. Additionally, Nick says that he has a strong relationship with Malek and Ryan and is always there for them when they call. Everyone involved truly appreciates how beloved this movie continues to be.
Nick relayed some thoughts on the lasting impact of this independent film,
“[There’s] a gigantic fan base that I get to meet in cities all around the country (and parts of the world) going to horror and fan conventions. It’s a big part of some people’s lives. It’s been a big influence in the genre. Nice to see John get the honors he deserves now that he is ancient.”
While Nick so generously offered his time, we couldn’t help asking him ample questions about his work on the original film. Below are a series of questions specifically tailored for die-hard fans of the franchise!
Halloween Team: Can you provide us some context to the popular behind-the-scenes on set photos of you drinking a can of soda with Michael’s mask?
Nick Castle: That photo is a fan favorite. It’s hard to remember accurately why that was taken other than to guess that we had a deal for free drinks and we needed to show them with the character. I redid the shot while doing my cameo in the 2018 film.
HT: Other than playing The Shape, what other duties or jobs did you have on the set of Halloween (1978)
NC: No other duties other than to help out from time to time if they needed an extra hand. The experience was valuable for me because of my interest in watching John work with the cast and crew and picking up some pointers for my eventual directing efforts.
HT: There've been so many great and talented folks who have played Michael Myers as well! If you had to pick one other person who has embodied The Shape similar to you, who would be your go-to?
NC: That’s a tough one. All the other guys did a great job. I’ve become close to James Jude Courtney who is Michael in the new movies. He’s a beast!
HT: Considering that you can see a wisp of smoke during the scene where Annie is telling Laurie that no one is behind a bush…legends say that this smoke stemmed from John Carpenter smoking during filming.. Do you remember catching this when watching the film?
NC: Do not remember that.
HT: What led to you being cast as The Shape for the 1978 Halloween film?
NC: John was a buddy from film school. They were doing pre-production at the sets that happened to be near my house. I met John there, asked if I could hang out on the set to pick up some pointers for my eventual work as a director and he said, well, as long as you are around, put this on. Then he handed me the mask.
HT: Any final thoughts you’d like to share with fans looking forward to playing Halloween?
NC: With the team I met and the fact that John and Malek and all are on board I have high hopes that the game will be something the fans will enjoy, (and then he said in jest) and keep them busy until…Halloween 14!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes interview with Nick Castle. From revealing that the talented TJ Storm aided with mo-cap for Michael to Nick’s funny and insightful musings, we hope that reading this gets you even more excited for everyone’s favorite time of the year, Halloween.
For more on Halloween, Stay Sharp and follow X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok or join the games subreddit at r/HalloweenTVG.