Known to many as Annie Brackett in John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic “Halloween,” Nancy Loomis is making a highly anticipated return to the screen.
Nancy Loomis has starred in iconic horror films such as The Fog and Halloween, earning her the title of a “Scream Queen” within the genre. Now, she’s stepping back into the spotlight with her role in the independent horror film Hauntology.
Directed by Parker Brennon and starring Samantha Robinson (The Love Witch) and Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story), Hauntology intertwines chilling narratives with deeply personal themes to explore the echoes of history that refuse to be forgotten. “The main thing that drew me to the project was its thematic focus on the LGBTQ community,” Loomis told SWAGGER. “I found it compelling how the film uses storytelling to amplify these themes and provide a historical perspective on the struggles the LGBTQ community has faced through generations.”
In Hauntology, Loomis plays Josephine, a character who resides in a mysterious Victorian house—now the subject of town rumours and suspicion. When asked to describe her character, Loomis explains, “She’s sort of a ghost, and she has been under a strange influence. She’s trying to live in this completely artificial space while the rest of the town has moved on. The old Victorian house she lives in holds a lot of suspicion.”
The film was shot in a small town north of Cleveland, and Loomis had high praise for the creative team. “Parker Brennon is really the force behind it,” Loomis notes. “They are a really interesting person, deeply invested in telling this story and using their own environment, the Midwest, to tell it, which added a wonderful filter to the project.” Loomis also praised the creative team’s coordination, saying, “The art director, costume designers, and the director of photography, among others, were so in tune and fantastic.”
For fans who remember Loomis from Halloween and The Fog, her return to the screen is an exciting development. Reflecting on her return to acting, Loomis shared, “It felt like I was brand new at all of it. Filmmaking has evolved so much—everything is faster and more accessible now. But my approach to acting hasn’t changed much. I was surprised by how natural it felt after all these years. It’s amazing how quickly you can communicate on set now and see the technical aspects in real time,” she explained. “It’s a different world now from when we shot Halloween.”
Looking back on the legacy of Halloween, Loomis adds, “It’s incredible, and I’m always so amazed to see all the fans at conventions. When we made Halloween, we were just a bunch of young punk kids who loved making movies. We poured every ounce of creative energy into it, and I think that passion made its way onto the screen. Even today, you can still feel it. We had so much fun coming up with ways to scare people, and it was something we genuinely loved doing.”
As Hauntology gears up for its VOD release, Loomis hopes the film will resonate with audiences on a deeper level. “It’s a story that needed to be told,” she says. “And Parker has done such a beautiful job of bringing it to life.”
Fans can look forward to experiencing Hauntology on all major VOD platforms starting September 17th.
