‘Halloween Kills’: Michael Myers’ Endgame May Not Be Laurie Strode, Says Jamie Lee Curtis
Not even fire can keep Michael Myers down in Halloween Kills. After Laurie Strode trapped him in the basement of her house, they exchanged one last haunting glance before she fled her burning house.
But it’s not over. John Carpenter never expected his film to launch sequels that would stretch across 40 years, and Jamie Lee Curtis did not either. With Halloween Kills slated to land in theaters on Oct. 15, Curtis ponders whether Michael really had it out for Laurie in the first place.
Jamie Lee Curtis questions Michael Myers’ obsession in ‘Halloween Kills’
It’s undeniable that Michael Myers fixated on Laurie Strode and her bloodline in all versions of Halloween. However, Curtis hints that the latest film looks at his obsessive behavior through a different lens. Is he really stalking her to the ends of the Earth and simply taking out those who get in his way? Michael is clearly evil incarnate, but there may be something more to his psychopathy and the Haddonfield connection.
During an interview with FilmIsNow Movie Bloopers and Extras, Curtis spoke about the town’s vigilante stance in Halloween Kills and Michael’s motive.
“One of the things that is deeply explored in this movie is: Was is really Laurie Strode? Or was it something else? We think it’s Laurie Strode because she was the point of his attachment,” said Curtis. “She was the fulcrum of his obsession, and everything around her became targets. What this movie explores is that may not be true — that there may be something deeper in him than just an obsession with me.”
She added that it’s an interesting path given that Laurie was the last one standing in the first movie. However, Curtis noted that the new sequel is full of violence, anger, fear, and other emotions.
John Carpenter had babysitters at the center of original ‘Halloween’
Back in 1977, John Carpenter garnered a film financier’s attention when he screened Assault on Precinct 13 at the London Film Festival. According to an interview with BBC, he met with Irwin Yablans and financier Moustapha Akkad — two producers who formed Compass Pictures International. Not only did they want to acquire his movie, but they pitched their own idea for a horror film.
Originally titled The Babysitter Murders, it was about babysitters stalked by a masked assailant. And they wanted it to take place on Halloween. Carpenter agreed to write and direct the project, and he and Debra Hill co-wrote what became Halloween.
As fans may recall, the inaugural 1978 film introduced several babysitters, including Laurie, Annie, and the flaky, sometimes-babysitter Lynda. Could Michael’s deep issues be a callback to some sort of babysitter trauma in Haddonfield?
‘Halloween Ends’ will wrap up the trilogy
Laurie makes it to the end of Halloween Kills and squares off against Michael one last time in Halloween Ends. Curtis made it clear that it’s likely her final appearance in the franchise, but that doesn’t mean Michael Myers is over. He has supernatural mortality and Halloween holds special — but deadly —significance.
If his story continues, questions about Laurie and Michael’s true fixation should be answered. Look out for Halloween Kills on Oct. 15 in theaters and on Peacock.
