Three of the films in the original Halloween franchise will return to theaters this October to play alongside Halloween Ends. Halloween Ends is the third and final film in Blumhouse's trilogy of legacy sequels to Halloween, bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis as final girl Laurie Strode, who must protect herself, her daughter (Judy Greer), and her granddaughter (Andi Matichak) from a new series of slayings following the escape of the masked serial killer Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney, splitting duties with original Myers performer Nick Castle). The film, which was directed by David Gordon Green and will also feature Real Housewife Kyle Richards returning as babysittee Lindsey Wallace, is set to premiere in theaters and simultaneously on Peacock on October 14.
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Although the new Halloween trilogy, which began in 2018, is a direct sequel to the original 1978 Halloween, there are quite a few films in the franchise that came out in the intervening 40 years. Although the timelines can be a bit confusing, this includes five sequels to the original (though Halloween III had an entirely different story that doesn't feature Michael Myers other than a brief glimpse of the film Halloween on television). 1998's Halloween H20 and its sequel Halloween: Resurrection ignore everything after Halloween II, and Rob Zombie's 2007 remake and its sequel, which form their own continuity and bring the Halloween franchise's film total to 10 prior to the release of the new trilogy.
Per THR, CineLife Entertainment, Compass International Pictures, and Trancas International Films have come together for a special holiday re-release of three classic films from the franchise. The titles they have chosen are the original 1978 Halloween, 1988's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and 1989's Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. They are currently slated to play in 417 theaters across the U.S.
Although it might seem peculiar that Halloween 4 and 5 are the sequels that were chosen, they do operate as a matched set. Both films follow Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode, as she herself is menaced by Michael Myers after Laurie's death in a car accident. Although Curtis did not return for those sequels, Donald Pleasence reprises his original role as Michael's psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis in both projects.
This will be a fitting way for Halloween fans to extend their celebration in theaters as this new leg of the franchise comes to a close. It's also a reminder that, no matter how much it may seem that Michael Myers is dead, he always finds a way to come back. Even though Halloween Ends is closing a chapter, the overall franchise will likely get another entry before too long.