'Baby Driver' Missed Out on Iconic 'Halloween' Mask Due to Reboot

In 2017, director Edgar Wright's action-comedy film 'Baby Driver' featured a memorable scene where three criminals were forced to wear masks of comedian Mike Myers' face instead of the iconic horror movie killer Michael Myers. This joke, which became a breakout bit from the film's trailer, was originally written by Wright to have the characters wearing 'Halloween' masks.

According to Greg Nicotero, the effects artist who worked on 'Baby Driver', the original scene was one of his favorite jokes from the movie. Nicotero revealed that the team had created the Michael Myers masks specifically for the film. However, due to the upcoming 'Halloween' reboot, the rights holders did not grant Wright permission to use the iconic mask.

As a result, Wright had to pivot and use three Austin Powers masks instead of just the one 'Halloween' mask. The director noted that the 'Halloween' franchise has a long history of denying people the right to use the Myers mask in non-franchise properties, so the refusal for 'Baby Driver' was not personal.

Despite the change, Wright was still able to incorporate the humorous mix-up into the final film, with the characters accidentally ordering the wrong masks. The 'Halloween' reboot is set to hit theaters on October 19, 2025, just a few days before the current date.