As far as horror franchises go, there are few quite as beloved as Halloween. John Carpenter's original movie changed the film world when it arrived in 1978, making Jamie Lee Curtis a star in the process. The property has never really been far from theaters, although its been given new life thanks to the vision of director/writer David Gordon Green. 2018's Halloween was a massive success, and it was recently revealed that two more movies are coming, forming a full trilogy.
The news about Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends is sure to make fans of the franchise happy, as Laurie Strode's life and conflict with Michael Myers will be given more life on screen. But there is one concern: will Halloween Ends actually end the property forever? Danny McBride is helping to write the trilogy, and recently answered that question, saying:
I think, ultimately, Michael Myers is such an iconic character that no one besides Carpenter is ever gonna have ownership over him. This will be our chance at the table to play with these characters, and I’m sure that, when we’re done, other people will come in and do the same thing, or have their own reinvention. Michael Myers is iconic enough to allow that, too. 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.
Well, there you have it. Danny McBride seems to think that the Halloween franchise and Michael Meyers are iconic enough to stand the test of time. As such, they're figures that can be reinvented and interpreted by different filmmakers once the current trilogy wraps up.
Given Halloween's long tenure in theaters, there is certainly precedent for this type of attitude. While Halloween II continued Laurie Strode's night of terror, the following four movies pivoted away to other characters. And when H20 brought Jamie Lee Curtis back to her signature role, the timeline has once again altered. Furthermore, every sequel was ignored in the timeline for Blumhouse's 2018 addition. So clearly, the property is up for interpretation.
Related: There Were Always Plans For More Halloween Movies
Of course, Danny McBride does make a good point: the movies that John Carpenter is involved in tend to have something special. He was an executive producer on the new Halloween, and also scored the movie. Later in the conversation with Collider, David Gordon Green explained how Michael Myers has become a part of pop culture; a modern monster. As he tells it,
They’re never done telling the Frankenstein story, and at this point, Michael Myers is a classic movie monster. But our Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode/Michael Myers saga will be done. The fun of it is also seeing it end and knowing that it can. If you just keep trying to elongate it and milk it for all of the money, then that’s boring.
The Halloween franchise will likely continue for many years to come, although the movies might not continue with the same cast. The current trilogy will likely be Jamie Lee Curtis' final appearances as Laurie Strode, so there is some finality attached to David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's upcoming sequels. Luckily, we've got two more years of new movies coming, just in time for the titular holiday.
Halloween Kills will arrive in theaters on October 16th, 2020, and Halloween Ends will follow on October 15th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
