The newly released horror film Halloween Kills is a direct sequel to Halloween from 2018, itself a sequel to the original 1978 film of the same name. In order to act as a direct sequel, the 2018 film ignored every other entry after the first – including the 1981 sequel Halloween II, which is now considered non-canon. But as it turns out, Halloween Kills actually uses footage from the non-canon sequel Halloween II.
Now, just because Halloween Kills uses footage from Halloween II, that doesn’t make the 1981 film canon. The storyline from that movie is still irrelevant to the 2018 Halloween, Halloween Kills, and the upcoming film Halloween Ends. But it does mean that at least one moment featured in Halloween II did occur in this new timeline. Specifically, the moment where Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers) sees his daughter’s corpse on a stretcher. The moment was used during a scene where Tommy Doyle makes note of the various survivors of Michael Myers.
It’s obvious this footage was used for two reasons. One, Halloween II still has plenty of footage which fits in nicely with the first. It’s certainly easier to incorporate said footage than try to create entirely new shots. What’s more, it seems likely that the filmmakers wanted to include the clip as a reference for eagle-eyed fans. After all, there are still plenty of fans who love Halloween II regardless of its place in the timeline. As such, it’s nice to see some slight use of it in the new timeline.
Nevertheless, Halloween Kills has done an incredible job at pushing the new storyline forward and setting things up for Halloween Ends. Whether or not the final film in David Gordon Green’s trilogy will further reference past films is yet to be seen, but at this rate, it seems likely.
Halloween Kills was directed by David Gordon Green who also helmed the 2018 film. He wrote the script alongside Danny McBride and Scott Teems. The film features a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Charles Cyphers, Anthony Michael Hall, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens, Jibrail Nantambu, and Robert Longstreet. James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle both return as Michael Myers.
Fans are currently able to see Halloween Kills both in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service.