The original Halloween is heading back to theaters this fall in honor of its 40th anniversary. John Carpenter's original slasher classic remains a defining moment not just for the horror genre, but for cinema in general. It's the birthplace of Michael Myers, one of the most iconic figures in horror history and helped define the slasher genre. Now, ahead of the release of the highly-anticipated sequel, the movie that started it all will be making its return to the big screen.

Halloween will begin its 40th anniversary re-release later this month on September 27. There will be screenings held at theaters all across the country at various times between the start date and throughout the month of October. So there will be plenty of chances to catch the movie before seeing the new Halloween when it drops on October 19. John Carpenter had this to say about the upcoming re-release.

"I'm thrilled to have the original make its way back into theaters, as we prepare for the release of the sequel. Having both back in theaters this fall is remarkable."

It's going to be a great fall season for horror fans. Not only will many have the chance to see the movie that started one of the most enduring franchises in history on the big screen for the first time ever, but it is also coming to 4K Ultra HD, and the early buzz says director David Gordon Green's new Halloween sequel is incredible. The new movie serves as a direct sequel to the original, with Jamie Lee Curtis returning as Laurie Strode to take on Michael Myers 40 years later. She's spent all of that time preparing for his inevitable return and is ready to kill him before he can finish the job he started all those years ago.

There have been plenty of sequels to the original over the years. There's the well-liked Halloween II, which picks up seconds after the original concluded. Then there's Season of the Witch, which doesn't even feature Michael Myers. That paved the way for 4, 5 and 6, which have their own strange continuity. That eventually led to H20, which ignored the events of the previous three entries and brought back Laurie to face down Michael twenty years later. That led to Resurrection, which isn't exactly a beloved entry that paved the way for the Rob Zombie-directed reboot and its sequel.

Since then, the franchise has been shelved, leaving Michael Myers out of the horror landscape for nearly a decade. But Blumhouse has resurrected it and this looks to be a truly worthy successor to John Carpenter's classic, assuming the early wave of first reactions coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival are to be believed. A trailer has been released for the Halloween 40th anniversary screenings, which you can check out below. For participating theaters and local showtime information, head on over to CineLife Entertainment, who have partnered with Trancas International Films to make these anniversary screenings possible.