Rob Zombie’s Halloween had its own version of Laurie Strode, Dr. Loomis, and Michael Myers, but it included an actor from the original saga: Danielle Harris, who had previously played Jamie Lloyd, Laurie’s daughter. In 2007, Rob Zombie took John Carpenter’s slasher classic Halloween and made it his own in a remake/reimagining that has divided fans of the original film. Zombie’s version followed the same basic plotline of Carpenter’s film, with Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) as the main characters.
This new Halloween expanded on Michael Myers backstory and gave a different ending for some characters, including Laurie’s friend Annie Brackett. In the original film, Annie was played by Nancy Kyes and was the first of Laurie’s friend to be killed by Michael. However, in Zombie’s take Annie survives and has a more prominent role in the sequel. This version of Annie was played by Danielle Harris, who had previously appeared in the Halloween franchise as a very different character. Zombie reportedly didn’t want anyone from previous Halloween films in his, so why was Danielle Harris the exception?
Danielle Harris played Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, but after her character’s death in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, she was erased from subsequent films, including the latest reboot by David Gordon Green. According to Harris herself, in 2006 she was told by a fan at a horror convention that there were plans for a Halloween remake with Rob Zombie involved, and that she was being considered to play Laurie Strode (although according to Zombie, Scout Taylor-Compton was his first choice). Harris’ management contacted the production team and were told that Zombie wasn’t interested in having anyone from the previous films, so she auditioned for the role of Annie Brackett. Zombie was impressed and gave her the role.
Harris role as Annie in Halloween and Halloween II wasn’t as dramatic as Jamie Lloyd’s, but she was an important figure in Laurie’s life, especially in the second film. As previously mentioned, Annie survived her encounter with Michael in the first film, and appears slightly disfigured in the sequel due to her scars. In Halloween II, Laurie moves in with Annie and her father, with Laurie arguing with Annie as they deal with trauma in different ways. In the end, Michael kills her in her own house, and Laurie finds her on the bathroom floor.
Harris publicly expressed her disappointment in the Halloween reboot not including Jamie Lloyd as Laurie’s daughter, instead creating Judy Greer’s character Karen. She has also been campaigning for a role in future Halloween films, but it seems unlikely (at least for now) that she will be included. Still, she was the only actor from the previous films that had a role in Zombie’s versions and got to play a character that had more relevance than the original one, so in a way, she already won – even more than those who didn’t appear in Zombie’s reimaginings nor in the current reboot.
Next: Rob Zombie’s Halloween Movies Aren’t Bad - They’re Misunderstood
