Back in June, Dimension Films announced that their long-awaited Halloween franchise follow-up, Halloween Returns, is moving forward with director Marcus Dunstan at the helm. That report revealed production would begin in July, but it isn't known if filming has even begun yet, since the filmmaker has yet to lock down a cast. Halloween Daily News recently spoke with Marcus Dunstan, who revealed that he is eyeing Community star Gillian Jacobs for the lead role.

"I really like this actress Gillian Jacobs. She's known for all this comedy on Community, and yet I didn't know her from Community first, I knew her from a movie called Gardens of the Night, which is one of the most wrenching dramas, and she's excellent. I thought, 'I wonder if this great performer would do that again, would like to go there, and I think so."

The director's statement seems to confirm Gillian Jacobs has already come aboard, but we haven't heard anything official from Dimension Films at this time. It also hasn't been confirmed whether or not this new project will connect to the original Halloween franchise, or the two reboots directed by Rob Zombie. A report from Shock Till You Drop in June claims that Halloween Returns is connected to the original series, with the story including Deputy Gary Hunt, originally played by Hunter von Leer in the 1981 sequel Halloween II, who is now the sheriff of Haddonfield, Illinois. While the director wouldn't confirm these details, he did shed some light on the title.

"It does function as what it means to say: If you commit a violent act, sometimes you get returns. What are the repercussions of being a violent entity? In that case, Halloween Returns could mean a number of things."

If the rumored details about Halloween Returns are true, this means the reboot will ignore all of the other original sequels and remakes. If Gillian Jacobs does sign on to star in this horror sequel, then the next order of business will likely be trying to find the new Michael Myers. The director teased that he has already gone through some "motion tests" with actors who could be the next to play this horror icon. Here's what the director had to say.

"The coolest thing we've done so far is a couple motion tests of potential Michaels. I want to see a film shot on film. I want it to be one that stands on its own. Suspense isn't expensive. A karate fight in a burning room is expensive. Michael Myers is subtlety and suspense."

Marcus Dunstan will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with his writing partner Patrick Melton, with Malek Akkad producing. We'll keep you posted on when production may begin, or when the studio announces a release date. Gillian Jacobs is no stranger to genre fare, having appeared in The Box and Bad Milo. She most recently appeared on the big screen in Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and No Way Jose.