When John Carpenter dropped Halloween in 1978, he probably didn’t realize he was unleashing decades of chaos—not just in Haddonfield, but in the franchise itself. Michael Myers didn’t just become a horror icon. He also became the center of one of the messiest timelines in movie history.
That’s the thing about Halloween: it doesn’t just have sequels. It has branching timelines, retcons, and “forget those last few movies, this is the REAL story” moments. If you’ve ever tried to marathon these films, you know exactly what I mean.
So, let’s untangle the web. Here’s every major Halloween timeline explained—minus Rob Zombie’s versions, because that’s a whole different beast.
The Original Timeline (1978–1995)
This is the “classic slasher soap opera” route.
- Halloween (1978) – Michael escapes the sanitarium, stalks Laurie Strode, and changes horror forever.
- Halloween II (1981) – Same night, different body count. Oh, and surprise: Laurie is Michael’s sister. (A twist Carpenter admitted he kinda regretted.)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) – Laurie’s gone, but her daughter Jamie steps in. Guess who’s back in town?
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) – Jamie now has a psychic link to her masked uncle. Things get… weird.
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) – The Cult of Thorn storyline takes over, turning Michael into a druid-curse murder machine. Fans are still split on this one.
The H20 Timeline (Laurie’s Comeback)
Here’s where the franchise says: “Forget those middle sequels—Laurie’s back.”
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) – Laurie’s alive, teaching under a new name, and trying to live a normal life. Spoiler: it doesn’t work out.
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002) – The one with Busta Rhymes karate-kicking Michael Myers. Yes, it really happened.
The Blumhouse / Carpenter-Backed Timeline (2018–2022)
The “fresh start” version. This one pretends nothing happened after the original.
- Halloween (1978) – The starting point. Always.
- Halloween (2018) – Direct sequel. Laurie’s not Michael’s sister here—she’s just a survivor who’s been waiting 40 years for payback.
- Halloween Kills (2021) – Same night as 2018, but bigger and bloodier. Also, evil dies tonight (or… not).
- Halloween Ends (2022) – The big finale. Fans are split, but at least it gives Laurie some closure.
Why Is It So Messy?
Because everyone has a different idea of what makes Michael scary. Some wanted him to be pure evil with no explanation. Others thought, “Hey, what if he’s cursed by druids?” Then you’ve got Laurie timelines where she’s his sister, and others where she’s not.
Basically, Halloween is a choose-your-own-adventure horror story:
- Want supernatural cults? Stick with 4–6.
- Want Laurie vs. Michael showdowns? Go with H20 or the Blumhouse trilogy.
- Want it simple? Watch just Halloween (1978) and Halloween (2018) back-to-back.
At the end of the day, Michael Myers is more than just a guy in a mask. He’s a shape that keeps changing depending on the timeline, the era, or whoever’s behind the camera.
We get to pick our poison: do we gear up with Laurie for another showdown, dig into the wild cult stuff, or just go back to basics with the babysitter stalker that started it all? One thing is for certain —you can’t kill the Boogeyman.
Here’s where I leave you but if you want more Halloween lore, deeper dives, or just cool horror room decor, these three are solid picks.
Taking Shape: Developing Halloween From Script to Scream
The Haunted Nook 