A revival of the Halloween franchise is currently in the works at Miramax following the conclusion that Halloween Ends provided. As such, fans are looking back at the series, and pondering what lies ahead for Michael Myers and his chilling legacy. This brings us to one of the key points of the series: why does Michael Myers want to kill Laurie Strode?
Laurie Strode has been stalked, tormented, and attacked since the very first Halloween was released in 1978. The plot of the film revolves around Laurie as Michael stalks her throughout the day, kills her friends one by one, and ultimately delivers one of the greatest chase sequences in the genre. But the motivation for these actions are unclear.
The film opens with Michael Myers as he kills his sister Judith, and he later gets locked away at Smith’s Grove. It’s there that he grows to adulthood and, decades later, breaks free to begin his killing spree on Halloween night, 1978. It seems as though he has no purpose in Haddonfield, however, until he spots Laurie Strode dropping off a key at his abandoned house. It’s this observation that leads Michael to follow her and her friends for the rest of the day.
It feels as though Michael chooses to stalk Laurie with no real motivation. Of course, the original Halloween II changes this, creating a new plot where Laurie is revealed to have been Michael’s sister all along. This led to a plot thread where Michael actually wants to kill his relatives, something that became the focus of Halloween 4, Halloween 5, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Of course, Laurie was absent from these films, so Michael’s focus was placed on her daughter: Jamie Lloyd.
Halloween: 20 Years Later brings back Laurie in a direct sequel to Halloween II. This means that Laurie is once again Michael’s sister, albeit alive, and she ultimately meets her fate in a direct follow-up: Halloween: Resurrection. It wasn’t until 2018 that Halloween, a sequel which ignored Rob Zombie’s remakes, once again returned to the original film’s continuity. Though it also ignores past installments, including Halloween II, so Laurie is not only still alive – but she’s no longer Michael’s sister.
This allows the film to refocus on the plot from the original Halloween. Essentially, it dictates that Michael’s decision to stalk Laurie was a random one, and the 2018 film follows her as she attempts to hunt Michael and get his attention. Michael’s new doctor eventually brings Michael to her, forcing the two into a fight that paves the way for Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
Ultimately, there are several motivations for Michael Myers at this point in time, and a number of reasons why he chooses to go after Laurie Strode. But it’s the eerie ambiguity of the original film that’s given Michael Myers the ability to come back again and again.