Whether you like or viscerally hate Halloween Ends (more on this movie later in Fright-A-Thon), it gave this current era of Halloween a conclusion. But the question always lingers like Michael Myers down in the sewers of Haddonfield: What’s next? Well, if any internet rumors are true, the Akkad family is hard at work trying to figure out the next step. All of this hinges on the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes getting a fitting end where both guilds get what they want from the studios. After all, nothing happens in Hollywood without writers and actors.
They could go with plenty of options, but here are some of my favorite ways that the Halloween series and Michael Myers could go.
A TV Series/Anthology Series
We all know that horror follows trends and is one of the most cyclical genres in movies. Well, what’s the hot thing to do with our horror icons of the past? Give them a TV show! Whether that’s Ash Vs. Evil Dead or Chucky or even the upcoming Crystal Lake series from Bryan Fuller, the big heroes/villains of the past are moving to the silver screen. With Michael Myers and Halloween, it offers endless possibilities for the character and series. Unlike many of those series, Halloween has multiple timelines where certain movies are embraced and others are forgotten. The Blumhouse movies chose to forego the entire series besides the first movie. Others pretend like everything after Halloween II didn’t happen. Then there’s the Thorn trilogy that brings its own timeline.
Those possibilities mean that whoever gets to make a series, can do whatever they want. Do we want a series with Jamie Lloyd grown up from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers? What about a series that’s set in the time period between Halloween 1 and II? The flashback scenes from Halloween Kills might be the only thing people can fully agree on from the new trilogy. Just because Michael had a conclusive ending in Halloween Ends, doesn’t mean he can’t come back in some other way in a new timeline.
The only issue with a series like this, is cost. Horror movies decimate the box office year over year because they’re usually cheaper to produce and get out. TV series cost more, take more time, and aren’t as profitable. Also, Halloween kind of deserves a big theatrical blowout. So maybe just an anthology series in a similar vein to Freddy’s Nightmares or something similar would work better.
What About Halloween III: Season Of The Witch?
Oh no, I can already feel the vitriol coming from people. Well, turns out a lot of us actually enjoy Halloween III: Season of the Witch. So much so that it’s gone from an astounding 1 star on IMDB to a more respectable score in recent years. The movie sells out showings at the Alamo Drafthouse and other local theaters every year. That kind of attention and fan interest might make the Akkads think a bit about the possibilities. They even put the Halloween III masks in Halloween Kills.
I love Halloween III, but I can’t really see how they’d be able to use the magic from that movie and translate it to today’s audience. Tom Atkins would be a must for anything, but would it be the descendants of Connal Cochrane and Silver Shamrock trying a similar scheme? Would they just have Halloween turn into an anthology movie series? I think audiences are tiring a bit on the “legacy sequel” idea. Like all things in horror, they run their course, get driven into the ground, and then die. Only to come back like the killer at the end of the movie, to start again for a new generation.
What’s The Best Course Of Action For Halloween?
At this point, the best course of action is just to find people who love the series and have good ideas. Shocker, I know. But what happens with all the successful reboots in horror? We had a long lull for Scream, and then we got Scream (2022) from Radio Silence. It revitalized the franchise and gave it new life.
Chucky is lucky because Don Mancini is such a creative force, but it took a sharp left turn in tone after some time off between Child’s Play 3 and Bride of Chucky. Even the Halloween series has seen this. They had Halloween 4 after some time off, and that’s one of the best movies in the entire series. Whether they go bigger and more bombastic or just keep it simple, Michael Myers might have to lie in wait, dormant, until that right idea comes along. The worst thing that could happen is that we get a rush job. Like all other things in Hollywood, hopefully they have a coherent plan, and stick to it.
So, what are you hoping happens with Halloween and Michael Myers?
For more on Halloween, make sure to check out THS Fright-A-Thon!
