Halloween Ends Almost Brought Back The Franchise’s Weirdest Moment
Halloween Ends almost included a scene referencing Season of the Witch in which it was implied that Silvver Shamrock had made Michael Myers' iconic mask.
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There are an ominous 13 films in the Halloween franchise including the most recent entry, but one of them stands out because its off-the-rails plot doesn’t seem to have anything to do with serial babysitter-killer Michael Myers. The third installment was controversial for this departure, but Halloween Ends, which was released last weekend, almost tied the franchise together by including a scene that references Halloween III: Season of the Witch. MovieWeb reports that director David Gordon Green revealed a scene that was included in the script but never filmed.
The other dozen Halloween movies, including two by Rob Zombie and reboots by David Gordon Green, are about the serial murders committed by Michael Myers, a dangerous psychopath with extreme physical endurance. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Laurie Strode, who is Michael’s sister and the only babysitter he can’t seem to kill. Throughout the series, Laurie battles with Michael as he slashes and slaughters his way through anyone in his path.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch departed from this formula significantly. Neither Laurie Strode nor Michael Myers is in the film, which follows a self-centered doctor and a young grieving woman on a mystery to understand the connection between her father’s death and the mysterious Silver Shamrock mask factory. What they uncover is a sinister blend of technology and the supernatural being used to make the largest human sacrifice in history.
In a nod to Halloween III, the Blumhouse Halloween movies have included the three distinctive masks from the Silver Shamrock factory. The witch, the skull, and the pumpkin are worn by various trick-or-treaters on the titular night as they run around the neighborhoods of Haddonfield to collect candy. However, this is the only acknowledgment the Halloween franchise has generally made to its third film.
The final scene in Halloween Ends was nearly a final look into the Silver Shamrock mask factory, with one of the production lines cranking out the same mask Michael Myers uses throughout the series. Had this scene made it into Halloween Ends, it would have not only tied Season of the Witch into the continuity, but it also would have explained a lot about Michael Myers, his murderous rampages, and his seemingly supernatural resilience to death. The scene was never filmed, but David Gordon Green wrote the script for it and included it in almost every copy of the revisions.
On top of Halloween Ends being in theaters and on Peacock as of October 14, the 40th anniversary of the release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch was October 22. Fans on social media celebrated this milestone and revisited the film to measure it against time. Even David Gordon Green thinks it makes good material for a director to explore in a reboot.
The masks and unfilmed scene aren’t the only nods the Halloween Ends director made to Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The latest film also includes title cards in the style and font of the third movie. Will all these connections and its recent anniversary cause fans of the franchise to revisit Season of the Witch?
Halloween Ends is in theaters right now. Both Halloween Ends and Halloween: Season of the Witch are streaming on Peacock.
