John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween has become a spooky time classic, turning into a franchise of seven sequels, a 2007 remake by Rob Zombie, and a 2018 continuation starring some original cast members that has now become a trilogy.
Following 2018’s Halloween and its sequel Halloween Kills,Halloween Ends is said to be the final film in the continuation trilogy, despite not picking up directly where the previous film left off. Set to release in October 2022, there’s plenty that fans of the Michael Myers saga need to know about the upcoming slasher.
The Plot
Haloween Kills ended with Michael Myers rising against the townspeople and killing each one, including an adult Tommy Doyle. Laurie’s daughter Karen, believing Michael was killed, begins exploring the dark, empty Myers house, only to encounter a run-in with Michael, who stabs her, presumably killing her.
Unlike the way Halloween II took place the same night as 1978’s Halloween and Halloween Kills took place the same night as 2018’s Halloween, Halloween Ends is set to feature not only a time jump but some real-life events. The film will take place in 2022 and is said to be set in a post-pandemic world full of peculiar politics and follow “Laurie Strode’s last stand,” according to the film’s synopsis.
Returning Characters
These Halloween continuations have been full of returning characters from the original films, as well as some familiar faces in new and notable roles. Jamie Lee Curtis is set to reprise her beloved role as Laurie Strode while also being pegged as an executive producer for the film.
Halloween Ends will also star Kyle Richards, who played Lindsey Wallace in 1978’s Halloween and returned to the franchise as Lindsey in Halloween Returns. Also back is Andi Matichak as Allyson, Will Patton as Deputy Frank Hawkins, and Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in the 1978 film and made cameos as the villain in the 2018 film, its 2021 sequel, and is set to reprise the role again in this final installment.
‘Halloween Ends’ Vs. ‘Halloween III’
The first time the Halloween franchise got the third movie, it was in the form of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and it wasn’t quite the sequel fans expected. With not even a glimpse of the franchise’s star Michael Myers, the 1982 film follows a doctor and his friend as they uncover an evil mass-murdering plot that will kill millions of children on Halloween.
While this film was made canon in Halloween Kills when it featured an Easter egg of the three famous cursed masks from Halloween III – the green witch, the skull, and the jack-o-lantern – the continuation’s third film will be nothing like the original’s. Halloween Ends will star Michael Myers and Laurie Strode as they endure their final battle, with no mention of any witchcraft this time.
The Famous Composition
John Carpenter is a legend in the world of horror movie music, creating compositions for films like Christine, The Fog, and most notably, the Halloween franchise. Carpenter is to thank for Michael Myers’ memorable, haunting theme song, having lent his musical expertise to the first three films in the saga and finally returned to the franchise for its 2018 continuation.
After providing those familiar tunes to Halloween and Halloween Kills, Carpenter is set to return as the composer for Halloween Ends. He’ll be creating alongside his son Cody Carpenter while also acting as one of the film’s executive producers as he had for the first two.
The Trailer Calls Back To 1978’s ‘Halloween’
When the new Halloween film premiered in 2018, it wiped out the canonicity of every previous film and picked up decades after the 1978 movie. But the new film trilogy was sure to call back to its roots between the return of Laurie Strode, that famous John Carpenter composition, and a slew of flashbacks.
Halloween Ends is no different, starting with the trailer. In just a little over one minute, the trailer follows the heavy breathing of a person waking through the Myers house and up to Judith’s bedroom, the same way 1978’s Halloween starts. It then – to the famous theme song by Carpenter – bounces back and forth between scenes from the new film and footage from the past films of Laurie and Michael battling it out before ending with present-day Laurie stabbing Michael, much like she has several times before.
Release Date
The original Halloween debuted in theaters on October 25, 1978, to box office success, making it one of the most successful independent films of all time. Exactly 40 years later, the continuation of Halloween premiered on October 19, 2018, grossing $255 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing slasher film in unadjusted dollars.
Like most of its predecessors in the franchise, Halloween Ends is set to hit theaters on October 14, 2022, just one day short of exactly a year since Halloween Kills premiered in 2021. While Halloween Kills had a simultaneous release with Peacock, it’s unknown whether Halloween Ends will follow suit and premiere both in theaters and on the streaming service.
