Earlier this year, Scream took on toxic fandoms. In its usual meta-style, we saw killers obsessed with keeping their beloved franchise pure and course-correcting it to extreme measures, and while this may not be quite as extreme, a new Halloween Ends petition proves that these types of fans are all over the place.
While horror is not immune fan backlash, we usually see these odd fandom moments reserved for the likes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Snyder Cut, and Game Of Thrones. Halloween Ends however has hit that specific trigger, with disgruntled fans calling for the movie to be reshot entirely.
In their opening statement, the petition writers say “Halloween Ends was NOT a film that the Fans wanted! This was an Origins Story! The Corey Story!.” This goes with the focus on the new character Corey Cunningham and his twisted journey towards evil. While Michael Myers was only featured for eleven minutes in the film (he only had about eight minutes in the original 1978 Halloween), fans were taken aback by this direction.
The petition proclaims that Halloween Ends “left us sad, mad, disappointed, and Infuriated. Please give us a movie showing what Halloween is really about.” They add that they want Michael Myers in their vision, “Our Killer is Strong, relentless, & unstoppable!.”
Michael Myers did rack up a pretty serious body count in Halloween Kills, which saw him as the central focus, while Laurie took the back seat. The filmmakers looked at what Myers did to not only Laurie but to Haddonfield in general. Some fans wanted a straightforward slasher for Ends, something the franchise has done for decades, and less of a grander concept.
As of writing, the reshoot Halloween Ends petition is nearing its close of 7,000 signatures. I’m sure Universal Pictures and David Gordon Green will get right on those reshoots. Curious to hear what John Carpenter has to say about all of this.
Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting; it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.
Halloween Ends is once again directed by Halloween 2018 and Halloween Kills‘ David Gordon Green from a screenplay by Green, Danny McBride, Paul Brad Logan, and Chris Bernier. Featuring in the cast are Jamie Lee Curtis as the iconic Laurie Strode, Andi Matichak as Allyson Nelson, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle as The Shape, Rohan Campbell as Corey Cunningham, Kyle Richard as Lindsey Wallace, Michael O’Leary as Dr. Mathis, and Omar Dorsey as Sheriff Barker.
Halloween Ends is currently in cinemas and on Peacock.
