Halloween fans are in for one heck of a year. Not only is David Gordon Green's new entry in the franchise, which serves as a direct sequel to John Carpenter's original classic, arriving in theaters this fall, but it's also the 40th anniversary of Michael Myers first arriving on the big screen. Now, fans will have the chance to celebrate in style at the H40: 40 Years of Terror celebration.

Every five years since 2003, fans of the Halloween franchise travel across the globe to celebrate one of the most endearing, imposing, and enduring horror movie franchises of all time. John Carpenter's Halloween premiered in cinemas and on drive-in screens 40 years ago, changing the landscape of horror cinema forever. The movie served as the launching pad for a series of films that would ultimately go on to span ten entries to date, and this fall, the original Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode), Nick Castle (The Shape, Michael Myers), and co-creator John Carpenter (the original movie's director and composer), return to deliver the most terrifying sequel yet.

To celebrate this storied 40-year old film franchise, this October 12 through 14 at the Pasadena Convention Center, the Halloween-based convention, H40: 40 Years of Terror is set to make waves in the convention industry. For this special anniversary convention event, Trancas International Films is teaming up with HorrorHound Ltd., the promoters responsible for the midwest event HorrorHound Weekend, to deliver what will be the biggest Halloween convention to date. Celebrity guests (including directors, stars, and crew) from all eleven Halloween films are set to be in attendance as the H40 convention expands into a larger convention space than ever before.

The additional space means more exciting vendors, including notable Halloween licensees, and a number of not-to-be missed events, such as a special Horror's Hallowed Grounds filming location tour, special gallery offerings, cast Q&As, exclusive H40 and Halloween merchandise offerings, and for the first time ever at the Halloween "Terror" event, professional photo opportunities (thanks to CPO).

Few horror franchises can say they've spanned four decades, which is worth celebrating on its own. But even if it had been limited to the original, groundbreaking movie from 1978, this would be worth celebrating. Luckily, we've got an expansive series of movies and a brand new sequel to celebrate as well. This is basically a hyper-focused comic con for horror fans. What's not to love? It certainly doesn't hurt matters that the new Halloween looks like it could be the most exciting entry in the series to come along in quite some time.

Ticketing launch date and pricing information (as well as special VIP packages) are expected to be announced within the month. Not to mention exact guest attendee information, event and programming schedules and plans, and special surprises revolving around the upcoming Halloween film. Make sure you keep an eye on the official H40 Web site at Halloween40.com the site also includes info regarding hotel reservations and vendor opportunities.

Halloween H40 Event