Halloween Ends director and Jamie Lee Curtis talk bringing the series to an end

As the name implies, Halloween Ends is bringing the series to an end. That's not over-exaggeration – the movie will be Jamie Lee Curtis' last outing as Laurie Strode, and director David Gordon Green is keen for everyone to know that his Halloween trilogy is over.

"It’s really exciting [to be ending things]. Fuck yeah!" he tells Total Film in the new issue of the magazine, headlined by Halloween Ends. "And it’s nerve-racking. I’ve moved around the last few scenes of the movie in various orders, and I’ve been playing with music. How do I want to feel [when] I walk out of the theatre, thinking that there’s not going to be another one next year? So that’s the sculpture."

If you walked out of Halloween Kills, the controversial sequel to 2018's remarkable Halloween, feeling brutalized and dejected that was by design, but the intention isn’t the same for Halloween Ends. "This one is a good time at the movies," Green says. "Let’s have a blast, ride the roller coaster with a few unexpected turns, and walk away feeling complete. That’s what I want."

That sense of finality is felt by no one more keenly than Curtis. When she first played Laurie Strode in 1978 Curtis wasn’t even 20 years old. Now 63, and leaving Strode behind for the last time, Curtis is in a more reflective mood than ever.

"I recently saw a photograph of Laurie from 1978 that Kim Gottlieb, who was our stills photographer, shot. And it moves me to see me then, to be honest,” Curtis says. "In the same way that Laurie doesn’t understand why all this is happening, I don’t understand why all this is happening to me. Why did I get that moment back in 1978? What made John and Debra [Hill] think I should be Laurie? 

"They saw something that I don’t think I even saw. That was John and Debra’s great skill – creating that character in a town that is like every other town in the United States who then comes into contact with the epitome of evil. And 44 years later, we’re still interested in that confluence of those two things. That’s why, at the end of the day, Halloween stands above all others."

Halloween Ends

(Image credit: Universal)

That's just a taster of the Halloween feature in the new issue of Total Film, which is on newsstands this Thursday – while subscribers have their copies now! Order your copy of Total Film here or subscribe to Total Film here and never miss another issue. You can currently grab three issues for just £3!

Also in the new issue: Olivia Wilde talking Don't Worry Darling, Sex Education breakout Emma Mackay discusses Emily and Barbie, and Billy Eichner reveals all about Bros. Plus, so much more! Halloween Ends reaches cinemas October 14.

Jordan Farley
Deputy Editor, Total Film

I'm the Deputy Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the features section of every issue where you can read exclusive, in-depth interviews and see first-look images from the biggest films. I was previously the News Editor at sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie bible SFX. You'll find my name on news, reviews, and features covering every type of movie, from the latest French arthouse release to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster. My work has also featured in Official PlayStation Magazine and Edge.

Read more
Scream 7: a screenshot of Ghostface holding a knife during Scream 6.
Scream 7 release date, cast, plot, and everything else we know so far
Sinners
The most exciting upcoming horror movies coming in 2025 and beyond
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
28 Years Later release date, trailer, cast, and everything else we know so far about Danny Boyle's zombie horror sequel
Theo James in The Monkey
The Monkey's Tatiana Maslany reacts to the horror movie's most shocking death: "It's so wrong, and I think that's why it's so right"
Mike, Eleven and Will in Stranger Things season 4 (2022)
Stranger Things season 5: Everything we know so far about the Netflix show's final chapter
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush's twisted chiller is a much-needed shake-up to the horror genre, disrupting harmful elderly stereotypes embraced by the likes of X and The Shining
Latest in Horror Movies
Dan Stevens in supernatural horror The Ritual
The Godfather and Godzilla x Kong stars' new exorcism horror The Ritual gets a creepy first trailer
Saw X
Billy the Puppet gives Saw fans some hope on the future of the horror franchise by updating his LinkedIn profile to "employed"
Final Destination Bloodlines
Final Destination: Bloodlines drops new trailer with a first look at the return of the late Tony Todd to the horror franchise
Jack Reynor in Midsommar
Midsommar star cast in new Mummy movie, but still no word from the original stars
Kurt Russell in The Thing holding a stick of dynamite.
43 years later, John Carpenter has hinted at who turns into The Thing in the horror movie and one eagle-eyed fan has worked it out
Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in Jennifer's Body
Star of cult hit Jennifer's Body says marketing "ruined" the horror movie's chances, but they may get another shot with a sequel 16 years later
Latest in News
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even if he's not involved himself
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us episode 3
The Last of Us season 2 showrunners tease a "gorgeous" episode akin to season 1’s Emmy-nominated Bill and Frank story: "Just you wait"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite releasing exactly zero new games, CD Projekt bagged $120 million in profit for 2024 – the Witcher and Cyberpunk studio's third-best result ever
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Batman looking over the city during Batman: Arkham City, one of the best PS3 games.
The PS2 Batman Begins game was considered such a "disaster" that Christopher Nolan turned down a Dark Knight-inspired game