The history of the Halloween franchise is a mixed bag at best and while there’s still an appeal for it to continue, it would be best if it moved away from Michael Myers. That’s a difficult ask because Myers is among the most iconic figures in horror movie history and doing away with him is a lot to ask.
However, the road to continue the Halloween franchise without him is the best way to go, given how the latest installment concluded. Halloween Ends seemed to wrap things up relatively neatly, including a definitive finale for Michael, who gets beaten by Laurie and thrown into an industrial shredder.
That’s pretty impossible to come back from. They could go with a new timeline but there are so many Halloween timelines as it is that it’s already difficult to keep up with. Going back to an old concept would be the best route for Halloween to continue its legacy.
Halloween Ends Was A Disappointment
As noted, Halloween Ends seemed to bring Michael Myers’ story to a close. Even if it didn’t, though, it would be a sour note to end the franchise on because it was ultimately a disappointment. When the franchise rebooted in 2018, ignoring previous sequels and telling a story that followed up on the 1978 original, there was genuine excitement.
2018’s Halloween was met with widespread acclaim and is considered the best film in the franchise since the first. Laurie training for decades in case Michael returned, and then actually fighting him, made for a captivating film. Things were looking up for Halloween.
The sequel, Halloween Kills, was a step down and though it’s not beloved, it continued the story well enough and made Michael more of a threat than ever before. That film ends with Michael killing Laurie’s daughter, setting the stage for one final showdown.
Although we get that in Halloween Ends, the movie is bogged down by the Corey Cunningham subplot. By the time we get to Laurie vs. Michael, many audience members had tuned out. The film sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered by most people to be a disappointment. The franchise shouldn’t end on that note.
Halloween III Showed How To Continue Without Michael Myers
Thankfully, there’s already a built-in answer to how to fix the Halloween franchise. Going back several decades, Halloween III: Season of the Witch was released in 1982 and turned the series on its head. After two movies about Laurie and Michael, this film didn’t focus on them at all.
In fact, Halloween III: Season of the Witch isn’t even a slasher. Instead, it focuses on sci-fi and witchcraft aspects, telling the story of a mask company owner’s plot to kill children on Halloween, including using popular masks such as a skull, a pumpkin, and a witch.
The idea at the time was to turn the Halloween franchise into an anthology series. Each year, an installment would come out and tell a standalone horror story set on Halloween. If Halloween returned to that concept, it could continue without Michael Myers.
Season Of The Witch Is One Of The Best Halloween Sequels Already
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Halloween III: Season of the Witch ended up disappointing audiences at the time, both at the box office and from a critical standpoint. People wanted Michael Myers back and due to poor reception, the anthology idea was dropped. Michael returned in the fourth installment and the rest is history.
While reviews were unkind for Halloween III: Season of the Witch upon arrival, the film has found new life over the years. People have re-evaluated the movie and it has gained cult status as a standalone horror project, with fans rewatching it once Halloween season begins.
In fact, Halloween III: Season of the Witch holds the fourth-highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the franchise behind the original (97%), the 2018 entry (79%), and Halloween H20 (56%), sitting at 49%. It works as the perfect movie to throw on to get in a Halloween mood without worrying about overarching lore or anything like that.
Given that Halloween III: Season of the Witch is one of the best entries in the franchise, it holds further weight that going down the route of an anthology series is the best choice for Halloween. Michael Myers has terrorized us for decades and he can rest to help the franchise.
The Anthology Series Opens Up So Many Possibilities
The best thing about turning Halloween into an anthology franchise is that it means the possibilities are basically endless. Each entry telling its own standalone story means they could cover any and all horror subgenres.
Witchcraft, supernatural entities, vampires, werewolves, clowns, body horror, aliens, and even going back to slashers are all on the table. The only theme that every story would have to share is that they’d take place on Halloween night.
That sounds perfect to breathe fresh energy into the franchise while also ensuring you’ve got something that should be a box office success for the holiday. The Halloween name attached to an original indie horror from a rising filmmaker could turn a hidden gem into a hit.
It’s the perfect recipe where everyone wins. Michael Myers’ legacy remains intact, the Halloween franchise continues, new filmmakers get a chance to show their talents, and we get fresh horror movies annually.
- Cast
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Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, Donald Pleasence, Brian Andrews, Anthony Michael Hall, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens, Charles Cyphers, Andi Matichak, Judy Greer
- Movie(s)
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Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Halloween: Resurrection, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Halloween, Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends
- Character(s)
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Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, Dr. Samuel Loomis, Jamie Lloyd, Sheriff Leigh Brackett, Karen Nelson, Allyson Nelson, Tommy Doyle
