Rob Zombie's "H2" brings an invigorating new vision and depth to the franchise of iconic slasher Michael Myers, according to producer Malek Akkad.

Impressed by Zombie's interpretation of 2007's "Halloween," Akkad hoped to cultivate the remake's unique foundations. But getting Zombie back was an important first step.

"Halloween is a very American tradition, Michael Myers is a very American icon and Rob gets that," Akkad said in a interview with ShockTillYouDrop.com. "What he's done in this film is hit on the Halloween holiday also. It's not just a slasher film, he's brought in the elements of the holiday which is great.

"I built a lot of trust in Rob after the first one ... I told him, when we started this, 'Don't feel hindered by any of the rules we've had in the past. I want this to be your vision and I want you to express that vision.' I think we needed to break out from these rules that have been established over the course of the franchise. His script had a lot more depth to it than a regular slasher film and the credit there goes to him."

Coaxing Zombie to return initially looked grim after he expressed little interest in a sequel. Akkad was forced to seek alternatives.

"Starting out we were looking into how we could do a normal sequel," Akkad explained. "We had a couple of writers do a draft and we weren't happy at all."

Two writers Dimension Films and Trancas International approached were French filmmakers Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who wrote and directed the gruesome flick "Inside." Dimension, having just released "Inside" on DVD, was looking to match the duo with a suitable new project.

"They did a draft. I liked 'Inside' and it wasn't them so much as we just wanted Rob back," Akkad said. "It wasn't necessarily a good fit because of Rob's sensibility, what he brings to this [franchise] is so much. These guys were French so there was something lost in the translation somehow."

However, after these setbacks Zombie had a sudden change of heart. It wasn't long before he signed on for "H2" and he was free of the original's limitations.

"The fact that [Rob] was doing a remake, perhaps there were some constraints," he said. "He felt there were certain elements he had to be true to but he was also able to flesh it out in his own way. But I think here he's really taking it in his own direction. It's packed, it's got so many elements and so many character arcs going, it's really satisfying to see where he takes each character and how he resolves each character. He's brought new elements into the franchise we've never seen before."

"H2" hits theaters August 28.