The Ultimate Michael Myers Halloween Movies In Order: 4 Confusing Timelines Explained

Deciphering the Michael Myers Halloween movie franchise is a task that has baffled and frustrated horror fans for decades. Unlike simple slasher series, the story of "The Shape" has been fractured, rebooted, and retconned so many times that there are currently four distinct, official timelines, making a simple chronological watch order nearly impossible. As of today, December 18, 2025, the franchise is in a state of flux following the conclusion of the most recent trilogy, with fans eagerly awaiting the next inevitable reboot.

To help you navigate the 13 films that feature Michael Myers, we've broken down the complete list by release date, and then, most importantly, by the four major canonical timelines. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned "Halloween Enthusiast," this guide is your definitive map to the madness of Haddonfield and the enduring legend of Michael Myers.

All 13 Michael Myers Halloween Movies in Release Order

The easiest way to approach the Halloween saga is by simply watching the movies in the order they were released. This order shows the evolution of the franchise, from its low-budget, high-tension origins to the massive studio reboots and sequels. Note that Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the only film in the original run that does not feature Michael Myers and is considered a standalone anthology entry.

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• 1. Halloween (1978)
• 2. Halloween II (1981)
• 3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - No Michael Myers
• 4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
• 5. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
• 6. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
• 7. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
• 8. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
• 9. Halloween (2007) - Rob Zombie Remake
• 10. Halloween II (2009) - Rob Zombie Sequel
• 11. Halloween (2018) - David Gordon Green Reboot
• 12. Halloween Kills (2021)
• 13. Halloween Ends (2022)

The Four Canonical Michael Myers Timelines Explained

The true key to understanding the franchise lies in its multiple continuities. Each timeline is a self-contained story, with later films often retconning or ignoring all but the original 1978 masterpiece. The latest and most popular continuity is the Blumhouse/David Gordon Green trilogy, which simplifies the story drastically.

1. The Original "Thorn Trilogy" Timeline (1978–1995)

This is the franchise's first and most convoluted continuity, which introduced the infamous "Curse of Thorn" to explain Michael's supernatural resilience and his motive for killing. This timeline establishes Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as Michael's sister in Halloween II (1981), a plot point that would be both embraced and later discarded by other timelines.

• Halloween (1978)
• Halloween II (1981)
• Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
• Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
• Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Key Lore: The "Man in Black" and the ancient Druid cult of Thorn are introduced in the later films to explain Michael Myers' superhuman strength and his compulsion to murder his family members. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is a central figure throughout this arc, desperately trying to stop his former patient.

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2. The H20/Resurrection Timeline (1978–2002)

Frustrated by the supernatural elements of the Thorn arc, producers decided to create a soft reboot that focused squarely on the cat-and-mouse game between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. This continuity ignores the events of Halloween 4, 5, and 6, picking up directly after Halloween II (1981) and imagining a new life for Laurie.

• Halloween (1978)
• Halloween II (1981)
• Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
• Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Key Lore: Laurie Strode faked her death and is living under an assumed name as a headmistress at a private school, raising her son, John Tate. The ending of H20 was initially meant to be a definitive conclusion, but the widely disliked Resurrection brought Michael back for one last, ill-advised run-in with a reality TV crew.

3. The Rob Zombie Remake Timeline (2007–2009)

Director Rob Zombie took the franchise in a completely new direction, crafting a darker, grittier, and more psychological origin story for Michael Myers. These two films are a standalone continuity, completely separate from all other entries.

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• Halloween (2007) - Remake
• Halloween II (2009) - Sequel to the Remake

Key Lore: Zombie's films spend considerable time detailing Michael's childhood, depicting him as a deeply disturbed child from a dysfunctional family. This version is less "The Shape" (a force of pure evil) and more a disturbed, hulking killer, with a strong focus on the psychological trauma inflicted on Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell).

4. The Blumhouse/David Gordon Green (DGG) Trilogy (2018–2022)

This is the most recent and arguably most successful attempt to simplify the franchise. This timeline acts as a direct sequel to the 1978 original film, ignoring every single other sequel—including the sister revelation from Halloween II (1981). The DGG trilogy is a brutal confrontation between an elderly Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, 40 years after the original massacre.

• Halloween (1978)
• Halloween (2018)
• Halloween Kills (2021)
• Halloween Ends (2022)

Key Lore: Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is no longer Michael's sister; she is simply a survivor who has spent her life preparing for his return, leading to a focus on generational trauma. This trilogy portrays Michael as a force of nature, an embodiment of pure evil that infects the entire town of Haddonfield. Halloween Ends (2022) offered a controversial but seemingly final conclusion to this specific timeline.

The Future of The Shape: What Comes After Halloween Ends?

With the Blumhouse trilogy concluding in 2022, the Halloween franchise has once again reset. The rights to Michael Myers are no longer held by Blumhouse, and as of December 2025, there is no officially confirmed studio film in development.

However, the franchise is far from over. Horror franchises are known for their resilience, and Michael Myers is the ultimate cinematic nightmare. Industry insiders and fan theories suggest that the next major reboot, or "Halloween: A New Chapter," will likely coincide with the franchise's 50th anniversary in 2028.

The current landscape is filled with speculation, including rumors of a potential streaming series or a new theatrical film that will once again completely ignore all previous sequels, returning to the core concept of "The Shape" as an unknown, unstoppable killer. Until an official announcement is made, the only certainty is that Michael Myers will return. The man behind the mask, the embodiment of evil, is simply too iconic to stay buried for long.

For now, fans can revisit the various timelines, from the convoluted "Thorn" storyline to the intense final battle of the "David Gordon Green trilogy," and appreciate the hidden lore and fan theories that make the Halloween franchise a perennial favorite.