Requels versus Revivals

Halloween is quickly approaching, causing excitement on a large scale, sweeping across the nation. Candy lovers, horror movie fans, and cosplayers alike are all thrilled to see the kickoff of Halloween traditions. This year is particularly exciting for diehard Halloween fans, with the release of Halloween Ends on October 14. Although it is not the only horror movie franchise that has been releasing new movies, it does share several common traits with resurfacing franchises outside of this genre. This is observed in the Star Wars universe starting with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016 and most recently Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. 

Although these films are part of the same universe, there are several differences to keep in mind. As seen in the title, the 2016 film is a Star Wars story. Since this movie is not directly related to the characters in the original films, it is considered a series revival. However, there are several qualifications for a motion picture to be considered a requel: must canonically be part of the same universe, have new characters with relation to the old characters from the original movie, and often, the new characters reveal unknown information about the backstory of characters from the original production. Requel is derived from the terms revival and sequel. It is a sequel to the storyline fans have grown to love while also bringing the old characters fans adore, to set up a new era for the story. 

For fans of the horror genre, requels are popping up everywhere. After 11 years Scream V was released earlier this year, with Scream 6 production seemingly underway. Similarly, after almost twenty years, Halloween Kills was released on October 15, 2021. This is only 364 days from the release of the newest movie, set for release later this month. Fans are bittersweet about the ending of a series that has spanned over 44 years, influencing multiple generations throughout. With the end of one collection, comes the eventual rise of a new universe within that collection. Someday, viewers may even see the requels for that franchise emerge in years to come. The end of one story is a gateway to another.