Did Halloween Ends Pick The Wrong Ending? Why The First Plan Was Scrapped
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Halloween Ends!
According to an interview with EW, Halloween Ends writer David Gordon Green initially had a different ending in mind – but it was scrapped. This ending apparently differed wildly from the final version, with it having a completely different tone. In the end, Halloween Ends decided to go with the Haddonfield procession ending that is currently in the film, whether that be the right or the wrong choice.
Halloween Ends is a major departure from the previous films in the Halloween reboot series, this time focusing on copycat killer Corey Cunningham who reigns terror on Haddonfield with the assistance of long-time villain Michael Myers. The ending of Halloween Ends sees Corey show up at Laurie’s house before Michael kills Corey and gets his mask back. Then, Michael proceeds to fight Laurie, with Laurie overpowering and killing Michael. Laurie and the citizens of Haddonfield then tie Michael’s body to the top of a car, parade him through town, and throw him into a junkyard crusher. With Michael and Corey both gone, Laurie settles down, finishes her memoir, and is finally at peace. Originally, though, Halloween Ends had « a little bit more of a modest, intimate ending, » meaning that it could have been very different from the tone of the current finale, which focuses more on somewhat grander moments like the procession to the crusher. Details on the content of the ending are scarce, but David Gordon Green has explained exactly why it was changed – and his thoughts on it.
Halloween Ends’ focus on Corey Cunningham is by far the film’s most interesting aspect, as it really delves into the sociological aspects that can put someone on this violent path. Unlike Michael Myers, who is portrayed as an unfeeling, unmotivated killer, the audience is meant to sympathize with Corey in Halloween Ends, with the film attempting to show his progression from a regular guy into a Myers-esque killer. Compared to the tones of Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends is a much more intimate story – and as such, it needs an intimate ending to satisfyingly complete it.
Michael Myers was obviously going to show up in Halloween Ends, but as is, the grand finale feels really tacked on. The Haddonfield procession scene is a low point in the movie, as the film’s story solely focuses on the dynamics between Corey, Allyson, and Laurie Strode for the first two acts, only to switch to focusing on Michael Myers and the angry citizens of Haddonfield in the third act. The ending Green originally had planned most likely would have worked a lot better, as the tacked-on junkyard ending feels like the wrong choice when the rest of the movie is taken into account.
While the content of Halloween Ends’ more intimate ending is a mystery, the reason it was changed is known. In the same interview, Green explains that test audiences didn’t receive the original ending well, causing him to want something a bit grander. To address this, the film added the procession ending, giving a final look at all of Haddonfield’s characters from across the three films. While the creators may think that the ending of Halloween Ends is great as is, the nature of the movie itself may have lent itself better to a more modest, intimate ending.
