Halloween Kills Extended Ending Explained

While Halloween Kills was still in theaters, director David Gordon Green had confirmed that there was an alternate, extended ending that was shot for the film that he ended up cutting from the theatrical release, with that extended ending now having been unveiled with the film's Digital HD release. Details of this ending have emerged in the months since Green revealed that news, thanks in part to pieces of the script making their way online, but some elements of this ending weren't entirely detailed in the script, so we have a breakdown of what exactly that ending contains. Halloween Kills is out now on Digital HD and hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on January 11, 2022.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Halloween Kills

In the theatrical release of the film, after seemingly killing Michael Myers, the murderer springs back to life to kill those who critically injured him, before he makes his way back to his former home. Upon his return, he sees Karen Strode (Judy Greer) standing in the window, approaching her from behind to violently kill her.

In the extended ending, Karen's phone begins to ring, cutting to Laurie Strode calling her from the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. The phone picks up, and we hear Michael breathing on the other end of the line, confirming to Laurie her worst fears as she realizes her daughter has likely been killed. Laurie promises, "I'm coming for you, Michael," before starting to make her way out of the hospital.

The camera tilts down to reveal that Laurie has the knife that her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left with her, which is the knife that Allyson had used to stab Michael in the previous film. That film's final shot was also of this exact knife, though in that film, Allyson was the person gripping the weapon, as this extended ending mirrors the previous film's conclusion.

With Green having since confirmed that the next film, Halloween Ends, would be jumping forward in the narrative by roughly four years, it's easy to see why this sequence would have been scrapped, as it implies an urgency that Laurie is leaving the hospital to find Michael Myers immediately and potentially hinting that the next film will pick up right where Halloween Kills left off. The theatrical ending, however, leaves more ambiguity in regards to the franchise's future, allowing the next film to begin on a slightly more somber note, as opposed to immediately implying Laurie's path of revenge.

Halloween Kills is out now on Digital HD and hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on January 11, 2022. 

Which ending do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!