For a horror franchise with such a simple concept, the ongoing popularity of the Halloween series over so many years is quite remarkable. While slasher rivals such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street have been absent from screens for more than a decade, the Halloween series remains a huge commercial draw, with new generations of horror fans lapping up the gory antics of Michael Myers.
The 2018 Halloween reboot was a huge box office smash, making $255 million worldwide, and while this year’s Halloween Kills had its potential earnings reduced by COVID and a simultaneous streaming release on Peacock, it has still made $131.6 million worldwide to date, on a reported $20 million production budget.
The next movie in the series, Halloween Ends, is set for release in 2022. This will complete the trilogy kicked off by the 2018 movie, which itself was a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 original. The film was originally due to be shot back-to-back with Halloween Kills, but in the end, the decision was made to make it after that movie. Production is now set to start in January 2022. So here’s everything we know so far about Halloween Kills.
What’s the release date?
Halloween Ends is due to hit theaters on October 14.
Who’s starring?
We know Jamie Lee Curtis is back to play Laurie Strode again–for what she states will be the last time. Beyond that, the only other confirmed actors are Andi Matichak as Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson, and James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle playing the dual roles as Michael. Presumably, as in the previous two movies, Courtney will perform most of the “action,” while Castle will appear as the maskless Michael.
Who’s directing?
David Gordon Green is the director once more. Green helmed both Halloween Kills and the 2018 movie and will move onto a new Exorcist trilogy once his time in Haddonfield is over.
Who’s writing?
The script for Halloween Ends is written by Green and Danny McBride–who co-wrote the last two movies–with Chris Bernier and Paul Brad Logan. Bernier previously scripted the Hulu horror movie The House, while Logan wrote the 2014 British comedy Manglehorn.
What’s the story?
Unsurprisingly most story details are under wraps right now. However, Green previously revealed that unlike Halloween Kills–which immediately followed its predecessor–Halloween Ends will pick up the story four years later. “There is a time jump,” he told Collider. “It gets back onto a contemporary timeline, so it’ll jump four years.”
What Michael has been doing for four years is unknown, but with Laurie’s suffering a terrible tragedy because of him at the end of Halloween Kills, you can be sure she’ll be looking to end his reign of terror for good.
Will Halloween really end?
As all horror fans know, slasher movie villains never truly die; they just hang around until the next sequel/remake/reboot. While Green and McBride have previously confirmed that Halloween Ends will close out this particular story, Michael Myers is sure to return sooner or later in another Halloween movie. After all, there have been eleven films in the franchise (excluding the non-Myers Halloween III) so far. As McBride himself said: “He’s like James Bond, where you can have different actors and different filmmakers. He represents something so simple and scary that he can be translated by lots of different people.”
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