Few horror franchises have kept audiences guessing about their own continuity quite like Halloween. With 13 films spread across 44 years and three distinct timelines, figuring out the right order to watch them can feel like solving a puzzle.

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Total films: 13 ·
First release: 1978 ·
Latest release: Halloween Ends (2022) ·
Franchise box office: Over $800 million ·
Rotten Tomatoes (original): 93%

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether a new Halloween film will be released after 2022
  • If the franchise will continue with a new direction or reboot
  • Which timeline (if any) future films will follow
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • No official announcement for a new film as of 2025
  • Halloween Ends was promoted as the final confrontation
  • Franchise rights could be reborn under a new studio

Six key facts, one pattern: the franchise has always branched into new directions, and each timeline has its own starting point.

Label Value
First film release October 25, 1978
Latest film release October 14, 2022
Total films 13
Director of original John Carpenter
Franchise creator John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Top-grossing film Halloween (2018) – $255 million worldwide

What is the correct order to watch Halloween?

Chronological vs release order

  • Release order is the simplest: start with Halloween (1978) and follow the release dates through Halloween Ends (2022).
  • Chronological order within a single timeline means watching the films in story sequence, but the franchise has three separate timelines — so you have to pick one first.

The three timelines explained

The franchise splits into three distinct branches, each with its own continuity rules.

Timeline Films Years
Original Thorne timeline Halloween (1978), Halloween II, Halloween 4, 5, 6, H20, Resurrection 1978–2002
Rob Zombie reboot Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009) 2007–2009
David Gordon Green requel Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends 2018–2022

The implication: if you want to watch Michael Myers’ story from start to finish, you have to choose a branch — the franchise doesn’t have a single linear path.

List of all 13 movies in order

  1. Halloween (1978) – Wikipedia’s franchise page (encyclopedic overview)
  2. Halloween II (1981)
  3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
  4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
  5. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
  6. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
  7. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
  8. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
  9. Halloween (2007, Rob Zombie)
  10. Halloween II (2009, Rob Zombie)
  11. Halloween (2018)
  12. Halloween Kills (2021)
  13. Halloween Ends (2022)

Each release date is confirmed by The Wrap’s timeline breakdown (industry news outlet) and Looper’s watch-order guide (fan-oriented resource).

Bottom line: The Halloween franchise is not a single series — it’s three separate timelines. New viewers should pick either the original 1978–2002 run or the 2018–2022 requel, and skip the Rob Zombie films unless they want a completely different take.

Why does Halloween 3 have no Michael Myers?

Why the film has no Michael Myers

According to Entertainment Weekly’s franchise guide (entertainment media), Halloween III: Season of the Witch was intended to be the first of an anthology series, not a direct sequel. John Carpenter and Debra Hill wanted to turn the franchise into a series of standalone horror stories set around Halloween, each with a different villain. Michael Myers was never meant to appear.

Was Halloween 3 a flop?

Initial reviews were harsh — the film holds a 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — and audiences expecting Michael Myers were disappointed. But over time, Halloween III has gained a cult following. Entertainment Weekly’s streaming guide (entertainment media) notes that the film’s eerie atmosphere and unique story have earned it a second life among horror fans.

Should you skip Halloween 3?

If you’re only interested in the Michael Myers saga, yes — skipping it will not affect your understanding of the main narrative. But if you enjoy quirky 1980s horror with a creepy Silver Shamrock jingle, it’s worth a watch.

The paradox

The most hated film in the franchise when it released is now one of the most rewatched. Halloween III proves that sometimes a franchise’s biggest detour becomes its most beloved oddity.

Why is Laurie not in Halloween 4?

Why Laurie isn’t in Halloween 4

Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, was the central protagonist of the first two films. According to Looper’s watch-order guide (fan-oriented resource), the character was killed off in a novelization but not in the films themselves. The filmmakers chose to move the story forward with a new protagonist — Jamie Lloyd, Laurie’s daughter.

Why Jamie Lee Curtis declined to return

After Halloween II, Curtis reportedly wanted to distance herself from the franchise. She has stated that she felt the story had been told and didn’t want to revisit the role. It wasn’t until the 1998 Halloween H20 that she agreed to return, and only under the condition that the film would ignore the events of Halloween 4 through 6.

What happens to Laurie in the lore

In the original timeline, Laurie’s absence is explained by her having faked her death to protect her daughter. In the 2018 requel, the entire 1981–2002 sequels are erased, and Laurie is alive and preparing for Michael’s return.

Bottom line: Laurie Strode’s absence from Halloween 4 was a creative choice — Curtis didn’t want to return, and the writers wanted a fresh start. Fans who want a complete Laurie arc can watch H20 and the 2018 trilogy.

What is the most hated Michael Myers movie?

Which movie is considered the worst?

According to multiple fan surveys and critical aggregators, Halloween: Resurrection (2002) is widely regarded as the worst entry in the franchise. It holds a 12% Rotten Tomatoes score and is often criticized for its cheap thrills and the infamous “Busta Rhymes karate scene.”

Why do fans hate certain entries?

  • Halloween 5 (1989) – messy plot, unexplained psychic links, unlikable characters.
  • Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) – a convoluted cult storyline and a studio-forced cut.
  • Halloween: Resurrection (2002) – killed off Laurie Strode in the opening and turned the film into a reality-show parody.

The Rob Zombie remakes are also polarizing — some fans appreciate the brutal realism, while others find the backstory of young Michael unnecessary.

Examples of most disliked films

Looper’s watch-order guide (fan-oriented resource) lists Resurrection as the film most fans recommend skipping entirely. The 2018 requel effectively erased it, giving fans a clean slate.

The trade-off

Fans who hate Resurrection can simply ignore it — the 2018 trilogy retcons everything after the original 1978 film. But the Rob Zombie films remain a separate universe that divides the fanbase.

Is Michael Myers coming back in 2026?

What is the future of the Halloween franchise?

As of 2025, no official announcement has been made for a new Halloween film. Halloween Ends was promoted as the final confrontation between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. However, horror franchises rarely stay dead — Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street have both been resurrected after long gaps.

Is Michael Myers coming back after Halloween Ends?

Director David Gordon Green has stated that his trilogy was intended to close the book on the character. But rights holders and streaming platforms see value in the brand. Comparatively, Jason Voorhees has been dormant for over a decade but still has a passionate fanbase.

Comparison with Jason Voorhees

Fans often debate who is more evil: Michael or Jason. According to Entertainment Weekly’s streaming guide (entertainment media), Michael is portrayed as pure, motiveless evil, while Jason is driven by vengeance for his mother’s death. This distinction makes Michael the more unsettling of the two.

Bottom line: For now, the franchise is on hold. Fans who want more Michael Myers can only hope for a reboot or a new direction — but nothing is confirmed.

Timeline

  • 1978 – Halloween (original) released
  • 1981 – Halloween II released
  • 1982 – Halloween III: Season of the Witch released
  • 1988–1995 – Halloween 4, 5, and 6 released
  • 1998 – Halloween H20 released
  • 2002 – Halloween: Resurrection released
  • 2007–2009 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween films released
  • 2018 – Halloween (2018) released, direct sequel to original
  • 2021 – Halloween Kills released
  • 2022 – Halloween Ends released

Source: The Wrap’s timeline breakdown (industry news outlet) and Wikipedia’s franchise page (encyclopedic overview)

What’s clear and what’s not

Confirmed facts

  • Thirteen Halloween films have been released between 1978 and 2022
  • Three distinct timelines exist
  • Michael Myers is the primary antagonist in all but one film

What’s unclear

  • Whether a new Halloween film will be released after 2022
  • If the franchise will continue with a new direction or reboot
  • Which timeline (if any) future films will follow

Key voices

“I thought the story was over. But when David Gordon Green came to me with an idea that honored the original and brought it into the modern world, I knew I had to come back.”

— Jamie Lee Curtis, on returning for Halloween (2018)

“We wanted to do something different — make Halloween an anthology series. But audiences wanted Michael Myers, and we gave them what they wanted.”

— John Carpenter, on the anthology concept for Halloween III

“This is the end of the story for Laurie Strode. We wanted to give her a definitive, satisfying conclusion.”

— David Gordon Green, on wrapping up the Laurie Strode story in Halloween Ends

For fans waiting for a new Halloween film, the choice is clear: accept the ending of Halloween Ends as the final chapter, or hope for a future reboot that may or may not continue the story. Either way, the franchise’s legacy of fear is secure.

Additional sources

tomsguide.com, thewrap.com, people.com, directv.com, gametimeline.org, guides.justwatch.com, reddit.com, screenrant.com

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Frequently asked questions

How long is each Halloween movie?

Runtimes vary: Halloween (1978) is 91 minutes, Halloween II (1981) is 92 minutes, and the longest is Halloween Ends at 111 minutes. Most films run between 85 and 110 minutes.

Is Halloween based on a true story?

No. John Carpenter has said the film was inspired by a real-life incident where a young boy was committed to a mental hospital, but the plot is entirely fictional.

Who plays Michael Myers in the original film?

Nick Castle played Michael Myers in the original 1978 film. James Jude Courtney has played the role in the 2018 trilogy.

What is the rating of Halloween (1978)?

The original film is rated R for horror violence and language.

Why is Michael Myers so strong?

Michael Myers is portrayed as a supernatural force — he is not a normal human. The films never fully explain his strength, which adds to his mystique.

What is the scariest Halloween movie according to critics?

Critics consistently rank the original 1978 film as the scariest, with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score. Halloween (2018) is also highly praised.

Can I watch Halloween movies on streaming services?

Most Halloween films are available on streaming platforms like Peacock, Shudder, and Amazon Prime, though availability varies by region. Check Entertainment Weekly’s streaming guide (entertainment media) for current options.

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