The director of Halloween Ends, David Gordon Green, has revealed that there was never any intention to further explore Michael Myers and Laurie Strode's story in the movie. Released on October 13, Halloween Ends revolves around the character Corey Cunningham, who has fallen in love with Laurie's granddaughter, Allyson. It explores his eventual spiral into a sporadic murderous lifestyle following an indulged obsession with Michael Myers.
The film takes place four years after the rampant, dominant presence of serial killer Michael Myers in Halloween Kills. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode, who is now living with her granddaughter, Allyson. Her trauma and grief following Halloween Kills' ending are touched upon, but as Allyson becomes connected to Corey, who has a fascination with Michael Myers, the film continues the saga of fear for Laurie and her refined desire to protect. James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle also return as Michael Myers, although fans were largely disappointed that Michael Myers was not in Halloween Ends all that much. Apparently, that was always the plan.
Speaking with TV Line, Green revealed that Halloween Ends was meant to be completely different from its predecessors within the franchise. The notorious killer and target trope between Michael and Laurie, Laurie's trauma, and the general hysteric panic within the town were never going to be the focus after Halloween Kills. Rather than focusing on Michael Myer's backstory, the director deemed it more fitting to focus on a new character altogether rather than a final showdown:
“We never once considered making a Laurie [Strode] and Michael [Myers] movie. The concept that it should be a final showdown-type brawl never even crossed our minds.”
Did Halloween Ends Director Miss The Point Of The Franchise?
Audiences have had a divisive reaction towards the film, going so far as to petition Halloween Ends to be remade. Seeing as the notorious franchise had previously centered around a ruthless, calculated, and dominant serial killer, the new protagonist's amateur nature and lack of exploration of previous beloved characters and their stories have contributed to the immense backlash received by the movie. Seeing as the franchise revolves around Michael and Laurie, it poses the question as to why the recently released movie completely shifted the focus.
Much of the hype around Halloween Ends was centered around a final showdown between Laurie and Michael, with most marketing materials released centering on their final brawl towards the conclusion of the movie. This fakeout has certainly contributed to the angst surround the movie, but Halloween Ends does thematically explore what the franchise has always been about - the endurance of evil. Whether or not that was the right move for the concluding chapter of this trilogy is up for debate, as Corey's trauma being a focus takes away from the overarching story or Laurie Strode in what is purported to be her last appearance. Despite fans' issues surrounding the minimal screen time allocated for Michael Myers, only time will tell if Halloween Ends can be redeemed through another movie as it's almost guaranteed that he will return even if Laurie is not.
Source: TVLine