Almost a week after being released, one can't deny that Halloween Ends has become the most talked-about horror movie of the year.
The film, which was supposed to bring closure to the surviving cast of characters in the David Gordon Green trilogy, as well as give us slasher fans the long-awaited final showdown between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode was hit by a barrage of criticisms voiced by angry fans.
The divisiveness of the final movie was so loud, and has garnered quite the online debate between horror movie pundits, that a petition has been launched via Change.org for Halloween Ends to be reshot.
Written by DJ Jones, here's what the plea reads:
“Halloween Ends was NOT a film that the Fans wanted! This was an Origins Story! The Corey Story! We deserve a movie worthy of Michael Myers & the Halloween Franchise! We love this Franchise whole heartily and this version of a Halloween Movie left us sad, mad, disappointed, and Infuriated. Please give us a movie that shows us what Halloween is really about. Our Apex Predator…. the King of Slasher Movies Michael Myers! This movie gave us a weak pathetic Michael who needed his mask to survive! This isn’t OUR MICHAEL MYERS! Our Killer is Strong , relentless, & unstoppable! Please right this wrong! We beg of you !!!”
As of this writing they've received 2,990 out of their initial goal of 5,000 signatures, but the petition is slowly gaining momentum. Halloween Ends may have snagged the #1 spot at the box office this weekend with $40M, but it received the lowest opening weekend gross amount out of the trilogy, falling about $5M below its projected ticket sales. Its predecessor garnered $49M when it was released exactly one year ago.
Some are blaming the low sales on the day and date release via cinemas and Peacock streams.
The gripe many have with the film is that it spends way too much time setting up the story of a new character named Corey Cunningham, and Michael Myers, who many moviegoers came to see is reduced to a cameo appearance.
Here's what one petition supporter wrote:
“Because you didn’t see Michael in the show much. It was stupid to base it off a guy that lost his mind because he was bullied.”
Another accused the film of going a little too heavy on the social commentary:
“This movie was a complete failure! And true fans have invested time and money into this franchise we deserve better then (sic) this woke, weak ending!”
No shade, but I feel like this petition is a waste of time. Universal is not going to remake a movie just because fans are pissed off about it. Movies are subjective, and while many despised the film, there are quite a few who loved it.
Is the film perfect? Not at all. Does it feel like they turned Michael into a punk after setting him up in the first two films as this threatening force of nature? Definitely. Was the showdown between Laurie and Michael short and lazy? Hell yes.
Do I feel like after 44 years we finally got the closure we've been waiting for? Absolutely not.
But there are Halloween sequels in my opinion that are far worse than Halloween Ends (Halloween 5, Halloween 6, and Halloween Resurrection easily come to mind. And don't get me started on Rob Zombie's trailer trash Halloween films).
Even if they were to entertain remaking Ends, David Gordon Green has already moved on. He's gearing up to shoot a new Exorcist trilogy for Blumhouse very soon.
Here's what Green had to say about his upcoming Exorcist sequel in a recent interview with Variety:
“[I’m] honored to step into something that’s so valuable within cinema history,” he said. “And knowing that there is a fanbase that is curious, aware, alert, potentially concerned to see what we’re up to. What I like is, people say, ‘Is it stressful?’ No, it’s exciting because I spent so much of my life making movies, and you’re just begging an audience to tune in, or see what’s going on, or buy tickets to the movie. With these, I’ve got stories to tell, I’ve got an imagination to express, and the way I can do that within these movies is an incredible opportunity.”
So while some may feel like they're still being edged after the disappointing Halloween Ends, you already know that in a couple of years they'll end up rebooting the Halloween franchise yet again. Will they continue the Michael Myers story but with new characters, or will they go the anthology route a la Season of the Witch? We won't know until we cross that bridge.
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