Here's something that'll blow your mind: the ending we got for 'Halloween Ends' almost took us somewhere completely unexpected – inside a mask manufacturing plant. And this is the part most people miss...
For decades, if you wanted to spark a heated debate among Halloween franchise fans, all you had to do was mention Halloween III: Season of the Witch. That peculiar entry held the crown as the series' most polarizing chapter for years. However, as time has passed, that oddball installment has gained a cult following and earned genuine affection from horror enthusiasts. Now, there's a new contender vying for the title of most divisive Halloween film: Halloween Ends.
Hitting theaters in 2022, Halloween Ends served as the concluding chapter of David Gordon Green's legacy sequel trilogy. The film carried the weighty responsibility of bringing closure to the decades-long cat-and-mouse game between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. But here's where it gets controversial... the movie also threw a curveball by introducing an entirely new Shape into the narrative through Rohan Campbell's portrayal of Corey Cunningham.
This creative decision – specifically Corey's character and his central importance to the storyline – became a lightning rod for criticism and debate. The reaction from the fanbase was, to put it mildly, deeply divided. Most devoted followers of the franchise came to Halloween Ends with one crystal-clear expectation: they wanted a gratifying, definitive conclusion to the epic confrontation between Laurie and Michael that first captivated audiences way back in 1978 with John Carpenter's groundbreaking slasher masterpiece. Fans craved that ultimate showdown – the kind of climactic battle that several previous entries, including the 2018 Halloween reboot, had teased but never fully delivered.
Yet Halloween Ends might have actually succeeded where others failed.
The film reaches its climax with Laurie finally killing Michael Myers in what appears to be a permanent, irreversible way – though admittedly, she's accomplished this feat a couple of times before in alternate timelines! This time, however, she takes things further by feeding his mangled corpse into an industrial shredder while the entire community of Haddonfield stands witness, observing the grim spectacle with quiet, somber acceptance. The ending essentially offers a glimmer of hope for Laurie's future, suggesting she might finally reclaim some version of a normal, peaceful existence.
Of course, that's assuming she can get past the inevitable nightmares about grinding her not-actually-related brother into metal fragments.
But here's the fascinating part: the conclusions that were originally conceived for Halloween Ends would have taken drastically different directions following Michael's destruction. According to revelations from Jamie Lee Curtis in the newly published book Horror's New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse (https://www.amazon.com/Horrors-New-Wave-Years-Blumhouse/dp/B0F49CSJDZ/), one alternate ending would have transported viewers inside a mask manufacturing facility. Even more shocking, another version would have literally shown the malevolent essence of Michael Myers transferring into and possessing Laurie Strode's body. Yes, you read that correctly!
"The original conclusion for Halloween Ends, which was initially titled Halloween Dies, featured a sequence set inside a mask factory," Jamie Lee Curtis reveals. "The scene showed a conveyor belt continuously producing masks – specifically Michael Myers masks. The symbolic message was clear: 'We're all capable of becoming monsters when we put on the mask. Michael isn't unique. Any of us can become him if we choose to wear that mask.' However, something about it didn't quite satisfy the emotional needs of the story. Looking back, I think the concept was too cerebral, too intellectually driven for this particular finale. It represented a bold creative gamble, and I absolutely respect and appreciate taking that kind of big swing."
She goes on to explain further, "There was also another ending that we actually explored and filmed, which dealt with a kind of spiritual transference occurring between Laurie and Michael. In this version, during the final act of killing Michael, Laurie essentially transforms into him. In that singular moment of triumph – as she takes Michael Myers' life – she absorbs his essence and becomes Michael Myers herself. The implication was that she would need to withdraw from society at that point. She'd have to revert to the isolated, traumatized Laurie we first encountered in the original film. She'd be forced to live in solitude for the remainder of her days because she now carries a fragment of Michael within her soul. [However,] this ending proved too bleak and too philosophically heavy to properly satisfy the emotional payoff that audiences deserved after this 40-year journey. So we pivoted to the procession scene instead, where the townspeople of Haddonfield silently bear witness to Michael's final end. Following that, Laurie returns to her home for the closing moments."
Interestingly, it was Jamie Lee Curtis herself who championed and insisted upon the more optimistic ending we ultimately received – the tender scene featuring Laurie and Frank together on the front porch of Laurie's Haddonfield home. In her own words, she wanted to "give hope that they're going to end up in Japan" and ensure that "Laurie's going to get a genuine shot at living her life."
And then, just when you think it's truly over... The Shape makes one final appearance. Well, sort of.
The absolute final image of Halloween Ends reveals the Michael Myers mask resting casually on a coffee table inside Laurie's house. This subtle but powerful detail suggests that she can never completely escape or move beyond her personal boogeyman, no matter how definitively she destroys his physical form.
"I believe there was deliberate ambiguity built into that moment," Jamie Lee Curtis elaborates in Horror's New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse. "I think it achieves the same thematic effect that the original concept for the mask factory churning out endless Michael Myers masks would have accomplished."
Could that factory have been a Silver Shamrock mask manufacturing plant, by any chance? After all, Halloween Ends functions as the Halloween III: Season of the Witch of David Gordon Green's trilogy when you really think about it. A mask that spreads evil throughout a town on Halloween night – now where have we encountered that concept before?!
So here's my question for you: Do you think the mask factory ending would have been more satisfying than what we got? Or was the darker transference ending the way to go? Would you have preferred seeing Laurie become the very monster she spent her life fighting, or was the hopeful ending the right call after 40 years of trauma? Drop your thoughts in the comments – I have a feeling this one's going to spark some serious debate!
Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has two awesome cats. Still plays with toys.
