As far as horror franchises go, there are few quite as beloved as John Carpenter's Halloween. Michael Myers has been terrifying moviegoers for decades, with entire generations brought up on Halloween flicks. The property was given new life with Blumhouse's recent sequel, which was a critical and box office hit when it arrived in 2018. Two more sequels are coming in the form of Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, but Carpenter doesn't think that's where the property will end.
Blumhouse's upcoming Halloween sequels will create a new trilogy of films, continuing the current timeline, and Laurie Strode's journey to surviving Michael Myers with her family. Laurie, Karen, and Allyson all made it out of the last movie alive, but Michael apparently escaped the giant trap and wasn't burned alive. Halloween Ends' title makes it seem like the franchise might be reaching its ultimately conclusion, but John Carpenter doesn't think that's the case. As he put it:
As long as there’s money in this, I wouldn’t count on an ending.
Touche. The film industry is ultimately about making money, so no franchise is ever truly dead. What's more, the horror genre has always relied heavily on sequels and reboots, so odds are that Michael Myers will never truly be dead and away from theaters in any permanent way.
John Carpenter's comments at Keystone Comic Con in Philadelphia (via Syfy Wire) make a great deal of sense, especially seeing how long the Halloween franchise has been in theaters. The director/composer changed the film world when his 1978 original movie hit theaters, making Jamie Lee Curtis a household name in the process.
Since then, there's been a whopping ten Halloween sequels, most of which John Carpenter was not involved in. The timeline of the property has been changed a variety of times during those decades of filmmaking, although the heart of the conflict has always been Michael Myers' attempt to hunt down and kill Laurie Strode. Blumhouse's Halloween ignored all of the follow-up movies, serving as a direct sequel to Carpenter's origin flick. And to mark this return, he scored the acclaimed movie and served as an executive producer.
Related: When Halloween Kills Will Begin Filming, According To Co-Writer Danny McBride
It should be fascinating to see what narrative twists director David Gordon Green and writer Danny McBride have up their sleeves for the next two Halloween movies. The dynamic of the Strode women will no doubt change drastically, now that Karen (Judy Greer) and Allyson (Andi Matichak) have had their own experiences with Michael Myers.
Laurie's trauma and obsession with Michael fractured her relationship with Karen, with her daughter eventually being taken away from her as a result. This created a massive divide in the family, although she retained a relationship with her granddaughter Allyson. The three generations of Strodes united in the film's last sequence, shooting, stabbing, and kicking The Shape until he was trapped in Laurie's basement. The women were last seen holding each other as the screen turns to black, and it should be fascinating to see how their family dynamic changes in Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
Answers will arrive when Halloween Kills hits theaters October 16, 2020. Halloween Ends will follow the next year on October 15th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
