When a low-budget horror movie with a mostly unknown cast and the seemingly generic title of Halloween hit theaters on the weekend of October 25, 1978, no one could have anticipated the impact it would have. John Carpenter's film went on to become one of the most successful independent movies of all time, grossing $70 million worldwide with a budget of $300,000. And just as notably, it was a key part of the first wave of slasher movies that would dominate horror for the next few years.
Inevitably many sequels, reboots, and remakes followed, with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. But no matter how bad some of the later Halloween movies are, Michael Myers--aka The Shape--is truly one of the great horror characters, leading filmmakers to regularly look for new ways to kickstart the series for the next generation of horror fans.
The latest movie, simply titled Halloween once again, arrived in October 2018. It had been nine years since the last one--Rob Zombie's much-maligned Halloween 2--which was the longest gap ever between movies. But there was much to be hopeful for. It was produced by Blumhouse, the production company with a long stream of horror hits behind them, including Get Out, Paranormal Activity, and The Purge. It was directed by acclaimed filmmaker David Gordon Green and co-written with comedian, actor, and horror fan Danny McBride. And most excitingly, both John Carpenter and original star Jamie Lee Curtis were involved.
Carpenter had not been involved with a Halloween movie since 1983, but in this case, he he was a creative adviser as well as writing a new music score. And Curtis returned to reprise her role as Laurie Strode, in a movie that would act as a direct sequel to the original film. Halloween 2018 proved to be a box office smash, making $255 million worldwide and setting the stage for an inevitable sequel.
After some teasing, not one but two new Halloween movies were announced in July--Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. The announcement came from Carpenter himself, and while only a few details have been revealed so far, we know the titles of the movies, release dates, plus some of the cast and crew. So here's everything we know so far about the upcoming Halloween sequels...
Two Halloween movies?
Yes, there are two more Halloween movies on the way. They were announced by Carpenter himself on Twitter and will complete a trilogy that kicked off with last year's Halloween. The first to arrive is Halloween Kills, while Halloween Ends releases a year later. The movies will be shot back-to-back, with production starting in September 2019.
When are the release dates?
Halloween Kills releases on October 16, 2020, and Halloween Ends on October 15, 2021.
The Shape of the cast
We don't have many casting details yet--the only actors confirmed are Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and Nick Castle as Michael. Curtis first played Laurie Strode in the 1978 movie and has reprised the role several times since, while Castle returned to the role of Michael last year for the first time since the original. But it's likely that they will be joined by Judy Greer and Andi Matichak, who played Laurie's daughter Karen and granddaughter Allyson in last year's film.
Who's directing?
David Gordon Green is set to direct both of the upcoming Halloween sequels. Prior to last year's movie, Green was known for his dramas and comedies, but its success proved that he has serious horror chops too.
Who's writing?
Danny McBride is returning to co-write both movies with Green, and the pair will be joined by some additional screenwriters. Halloween Kills will be co-written by Scott Teems, who recently penned a new screen adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter for Blumhouse. Halloween Ends, meanwhile, will be co-written by Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn) and Chris Bernier (Hulu's The House).
Killer story
Unsurprisingly, very little is known about the storylines of either new Halloween movie. In fact, the only thing we do know for sure--from Carpenter's initial tweet--is that "The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode isn't over." On the face of it, Michael's fate at the end of last year's film seemed fairly conclusive; however, his body wasn't found and audiences who stuck around until the very end heard some ominous breathing sounds. In an interview with Collider, McBride explained that the new movies would just be a direct continuation of Halloween 2018. "It's telling the story, moving forward." he said. "It's not another reinvention, or anything like that. It's this world that we've established, and then it continues beyond the events of the first one."
Music to our ears
Carpenter has confirmed that he'll be providing the score for both new Halloween movies. His original Halloween theme is one of the most iconic pieces of horror music ever, and Halloween 2018's creepy cues proved he's lost none of his touch for unsettling music.
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 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 had been nine films in the franchise (excluding the non-Myers Halloween III) before last year's entry even hit theaters. 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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