The curse of Michael Myers strikes again! While Halloween fans were pumped to hear of a new movie installment coming in 2016, those hopes have been officially dashed. It’s been a few months since we heard anything of Halloween Returns from Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and it looks like there was a good reason for that: Dimension Films lost the rights to Halloween, which means MGM is now shopping around to find the property a new home.

The news was first reported by Bloody Disgusting and followed up by a report from The Wrap, but perhaps worst of all is that Dunstan and Melton are no longer involved. The pair co-wrote the script with Dunstan helming the picture, and production was supposed to begin in July. Obviously, that didn’t happen. According to The Wrap, MGM wanted a clean break from Dimension and their vision for Michael Myers. However, Malek Akkad, a mainstay of the Halloween franchise, will still produce the next installment wherever the property lands.

Image via The Movie Database[/caption]

Plot details on Dunstan and Melton’s take were officially under wraps, though rumblings and reports pointed to another group of Haddonfield youngsters, including the now 18-year-old child of one of Myer’s victims, facing the crazed killer, who was reportedly on death row. Of course, all of this has no meaning at this point other than to pour salt on our open wounds, but it sounded like an interesting direction for the franchise.

Dimension Films, part of The Weinstein Company, has been behind Halloween for the past 20 years, including Halloween: The Curse of Mike Myers, Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later, and Rob Zombie’s Halloween. No matter what the future holds, there’s no downplaying this major shift.

This move comes at a time where other classic horror properties are getting continuations and remakes. Though Michael Bruckner may never direct a Friday the 13th movie, the latest iteration gained Prisoners screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski. Elsewhere, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is getting a prequel with Leatherface, and New Line is rebooting A Nightmare on Elm Street.