SlashersNo. 6235 · The 2026 edition
Halloween: Timeline of the Michael Myers Franchise Explained
Unravel the twisted timeline of Michael Myers!
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at comicbook.com.
This article breaks down the chronological order and key events across all Halloween movies, from the original 1978 classic to the latest reboots, explaining the complex timeline of the iconic slasher series.
About this
A ComicBook.com explainer that untangles the four separate continuities of the Halloween franchise ahead of Halloween Ends. It walks through the key installments, retcons, and cast changes in each timeline, from the 1978 original through the Rob Zombie reboot and the Blumhouse revival. It also covers Jamie Lee Curtis's farewell to Laurie Strode and John Carpenter's return to the series as producer and composer.
The list
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01
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02
Halloween II 1981
Picks up immediately after the first film as Myers stalks Laurie at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital; he and Dr. Loomis appear to die in a fire.
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03
Halloween III: Season of the Witch 1982
Self-contained story about an evil mask maker; the only installment not connected to the prior films.
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04
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 1988
Retcons the deaths of Loomis and Michael; Michael spent ten years comatose at Smith's Grove. Curtis declined to appear, so Laurie dies offscreen in a car crash, leaving daughter Jamie Lloyd.
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05
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 1989
A newly awakened Michael pursues his niece Jamie Lloyd.
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06
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 1995
Reveals Michael has long been controlled by the shadowy Cult of Thorn through an ancient curse.
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07
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later 1998
Laurie is alive, having faked her death, living as Keri Tate, headmistress of a California boarding school; her 17-year-old son John attends. Disregards Return, Revenge and Curse.
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08
Halloween: Resurrection 2002
Michael finally kills Laurie by stabbing her and dropping her off the roof of a sanitarium in the opening scene.
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09
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10
Halloween II 2009
Zombie's sequel ends with the apparent deaths of Loomis and Michael, who is stabbed to death by Laurie, leaving her in a psychiatric ward.
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11
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12
Halloween Kills 2021
Shows Myers surviving the inferno and a vigilante mob, and killing Laurie's daughter Karen (Judy Greer).
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13
Halloween Ends 2022
Jumps four years ahead to the final conflict between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers; in theaters and on Peacock October 14.
Where to watch: Peacock · Theaters
Facts from the original
- Halloween Ends is set to be the final conflict between Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers.
- The franchise has run more than 40 years and earned 13 installments.
- Halloween Ends will be the fourth timeline to come to an end.
- 1982's Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a self-contained story about an evil mask maker and connects to none of the previous films.
- Curtis declined to appear in Halloween 4, leading to Laurie Strode's offscreen death by car accident.
- Timeline 1 was abandoned after The Curse of Michael Myers, following the death of actor Donald Pleasence and Curtis's desire to return for the franchise's 20th anniversary.
- In H20, Laurie Strode is alive having faked her death, living as Keri Tate in California, headmistress of a private boarding school attended by her 17-year-old son John.
- In Resurrection, Michael finally kills Laurie by stabbing her and dropping her off a sanitarium roof.
- Dimension Films rebooted the franchise with Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween.
- A planned Zombie sequel, originally dubbed Halloween 3D, never happened; Dimension then planned a 'recalibration' under Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan later known as Halloween Returns, cancelled in late 2015 when Dimension lost the franchise rights.
- Universal Pictures and Blumhouse resurrected Michael Myers in 2018's Halloween, erasing everything beyond the 1978 original, including the concept that Laurie is Michael's sister.
- The original Halloween was initially called 'The Babysitter Murders' and was co-written by Debra Hill and John Carpenter, who directed and crafted the score to save time and money.
- Carpenter returned to the current timeline as both producer and composer, working with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies.
- Nick Castle returned to provide Michael's breathing after performing most masked scenes in the original; James Jude Courtney plays the character in the current timeline.
- Halloween Kills paid tribute to the standalone Halloween III, and Halloween Ends is expected to honor more corners of the series.
- Curtis has said her time as Laurie Strode has come to an end, calling the character inseparable from her life and career.
- Carpenter joked that if a dollar sign is attached to anything there will be somebody who wants a sequel, so he doesn't know whether the series will truly end after Halloween Ends.
From the original
The piece opens by noting that the David Gordon Green trilogy wraps up with Halloween Ends, the fourth timeline to conclude in a franchise with 13 installments and more than 40 years of contradictory continuity. Timeline 1 runs from 1978 to 1995, starting with Carpenter and Hill's original, continuing directly into Halloween II, then retconning both Michael and Dr. Loomis back to life in 1988's Halloween 4, where Laurie dies offscreen and her daughter Jamie Lloyd becomes the target, leading into Halloween 5 and The Curse of Michael Myers and its Cult of Thorn. Timeline 2 (1978-2002) abandons that thread after Donald Pleasence's death and Curtis's return, with H20 revealing Laurie faked her death and Resurrection finally killing her. Timeline 3 (2007-2009) is Rob Zombie's reboot and its sequel, which ended after planned follow-ups collapsed and Dimension lost the rights. Timeline 4 (1978-2022) begins with Blumhouse and Universal's 2018 Halloween, erasing everything after 1978, and continues through Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. Closing sections cover Curtis's emotional retirement from the role and Carpenter's wry take on whether the franchise will truly end.
