Halloween might be ending, but Michael Myers is going out on top. This weekend saw the debut of the franchise’s latest sequel, Halloween Ends, in movie theaters. As with last year’s Halloween Kills, the movie was also made available for streaming on Peacock on the same day of its theatrical release. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, the film serves as the final chapter of the Laurie Strode vs. Michael Myers saga that has now been going on for over four decades.
Unfortunately for the filmmakers, Halloween Ends was not met with the warmest reception from critics and fans. The sequel landed with a splat on Rotten Tomatoes with a current rating of 39% on the Tomatometer, tying it with last year’s maligned sequel Halloween Kills. Its audience score is comparatively better, but still rotten at 56%, ten points lower than Halloween Kills’ 66%. Both films were not as well-received as the 2018 movie which has a 79% Certified Fresh score on the Tomatometer with a 71% audience score.
But even with its availability on streaming and the negative reviews, the film still drew horror fans en masse out to the theaters to see Halloween Ends on the big screen. Per Variety, the film is projected to earn $43.4 million with its opening. The number is said to be below initial estimates, and it’s possible this is partly due to the aforementioned reasons, but that’s still a strong opening regardless, especially for an R-rated slasher movie. The last movie to open with more than $40 million was Nope, which hit theaters in July.
The Halloween Ends opening numbers also fall a bit short of what was drawn by its predecessor, as last year, Halloween Kills opened to $49 million. 2018’s Halloween scored the franchise’s highest opening with $76.2 million, though it’s worth noting that this was before the pandemic and day-and-date releases.
Is This the End of Michael Myers?
Universal Pictures
Halloween Ends was written as the final chapter of a three-part story that began with the 2018 film. There are no plans for any additional sequels at this time, but even if the Laurie vs. Michael saga has ended, chances are we haven’t seen the last of the Boogeyman on the big screen. Halloween movies are relatively cheap to make with Halloween Ends carrying a $20 million budget. With those numbers, the film has already more than doubled its budget in its opening weekend, so with the Halloween brand remaining very popular with horror fans, another reboot seems inevitable.
David Gordon Green directs Halloween Ends using a screenplay co-written with Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, and Danny McBride. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, James Jude Courtney, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Rohan Campbell, and Kyle Richards. Original Michael Myers actor Nick Castle is also featured in the film. It is produced by Jason Blum, Malek Akkad, and Bill Block.
Halloween Ends is now streaming on Peacock and playing in movie theaters.
