New 'Halloween' Sequels for 2020 and 2021 Hint at the End for Michael Myers

The triumphant return of Michael Myers isn’t over yet. During San Diego Comic-Con weekend, Universal Pictures announced two new sequels to 2018’s Halloween. But the title to the third film hints there’s an actual endpoint to the long, long story of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode.

On Friday, Universal announced Halloween Kills, the next film to be released on October 16, 2020. It will be followed by Halloween Ends, which opens in theaters almost a year after on October 15, 2021.

The studio released a brief teaser trailer, which doesn’t include any new footage but recycles voice over from the previous film.

“The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode isn’t over,” teases the brief press release by Universal, which suggests that Jamie Lee Curtis will return as Laurie Strode. She will likely face off against James Jude Courtney, who took over the mask from original Michael Myers actor Nick Castle in the 2018 film.

But the title, Halloween Kills, sounds like the producers are striving for an end point to this story rather than risk dragging out the saga; which is essentially what happened to the many now non-canon Halloween films released prior to last year’s film. Before 2018, there were eight films in the series, plus two more in a pair of reboots from director Rob Zombie. While these movies have their fans, their box office gross didn’t compare to the $250 million grossed by the 2018 film.

Can Halloween avoid slasher-murder fatigue? Sure. But the obvious ploy — kill Michael Myers — seems like the least effective one. Like superhero comics, killing off the star slasher has never really worked (and also, they literally did it in the 2018 film).

Whether you’re Freddy, Jason, or Michael, there is always something (usually money) that brings you back from the dead.

The ending of 2018’s Halloween seemed like the definitive end to Michael Myers. In the film’s climax, three generations of Strode women trap Michael in Laurie’s remote cabin, set it ablaze, and leave Michael to die.

The film ended with the Strodes escaping on the back of a truck while the camera panned in on the mask held by young Allyson (Andi Matichak). In the film’s “post-credits,” Michael’s labored breathing can be heard, which suggests that he somehow lived.

In an interview from January 2019, Castle told Inverse he expects more Halloween films, saying: “I’ll tell you why [Michael Myers is] alive. $175 million. No one’s going to let this thing not happen again. From the predatory position of a capitalist company, I’m sure they’ll want to continue this.” Looks like he was right.

Halloween Kills will be released in theaters on October 16, 2020.