Was 'Halloween' Based On A True Story? John Carpenter Discusses Michael Myers Inspiration

"Halloween," the 1978 classic, has inspired a variety of sequels, reboots, and remakes. However, due to the mysterious nature of the killer character Michael Meyers in the films, some horror fans may have wondered if John Carpenter's story was modeled after actual people or events.

According to Screen Rant, the answer is yes, to an extent. Many of the details in the movie, such as settings and names, are said to have been modeled after Carpenter and co-writer Debra Hill's real-life connections.

Carpenter recalled in 2003's "A Cut Above the Rest" that a visit to a mental institution while he was attending Western Kentucky University inspired some of antagonist Michael's characteristics. In the documentary, the director described a particular patient he had seen, who he guessed was close to 13 years old at the time, as having a "schizophrenic stare."

Continuing, the filmmaker revealed that his eyes and lack of emotion on his face helped form a quote that Dr. Loomis says in the movie when he describes Michael as having "the blackest of eyes... the devil's eyes." Aside from his physical appearance, that specific patient also inspired the main character's demeanor.

READ: Jamie Lee Curtis Announces New 'Halloween' Sequels: When Can Fans See Them?

As for the location, Carpenter said he believed every town had one house that no one dared to venture into, either due to folklore or exaggerated rumors. He tried to implement that into the film's plot with the Myers house, as it was supposed to represent not only the scene of a murder but also a place that kept many other secrets.

During the creation process, Carpenter and his team additionally decided that the story needed to be a bit more specific than what they had originally envisioned, so they narrowed the date down to Halloween night. After that, they drilled down even further and found inspiration in Celtic traditions. He and Hill were intrigued by the notion that souls are let out on Halloween and that evil couldn't be stopped or killed, which coincided with the story he was trying to tell.

Fans of "Halloween" have a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Not only has lead actress Jamie Lee Curtis' announced that new sequels are on the way, but there are also several other horror movies slated for release this fall.