“Halloween” (Michael Myers): Movie Watch Order

The Halloween franchise has thirteen films, and it’s not a good idea to watch them back to back: according to Wikipedia, the series has several storylines, remakes and reboots, so newcomers easily get confused. Michael Myers (some texts spell it Meyers) is the main antagonist of all the films except one. Below we break down four storylines, each with its own table, and suggest where to start. No spoilers: we only describe the initial situation. Data is from Wikipedia pages checked on October 17, 2026.

All films in release order

Film	Year	Director	Runtime	Storyline
Halloween	1978	John Carpenter	91 min	start of all storylines
Halloween II	1981	Rick Rosenthal	92 min	original, H20
Halloween III: Season of the Witch	1982	Tommy Lee Wallace	99 min	standalone film
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers	1988	Dwight H. Little	88 min	original
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers	1989	Dominique Othenin-Girard	96 min	original
Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers	1995	Joe Chappelle	88 min	original
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later	1998	Steve Miner	86 min	H20
Halloween: Resurrection	2002	Rick Rosenthal	90 min	H20
Halloween	2007	Rob Zombie	110 min	Zombie remakes
Halloween II	2009	Rob Zombie	105 min	Zombie remakes
Halloween	2018	David Gordon Green	106 min	2018–2022 trilogy
Halloween Kills	2021	David Gordon Green	105 min	2018–2022 trilogy
Halloween Ends	2022	David Gordon Green	111 min	2018–2022 trilogy

Data: Wikipedia (runtime from the English-language version). As of October 17, 2026.

Why there are several storylines

According to Wikipedia, a Forbes critic compared Halloween to the “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks among horror series: new creators have repeatedly rebooted the story, discarding some of the earlier films. So it’s worth watching not by release year but by storyline.

Storyline	Films	What it discards
Original	1978, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1995	nothing, but the third film stands apart
H20	1978, 1981, 1998, 2002	films 4–6
Zombie remakes	2007, 2009	all previous films: it’s a reboot
2018–2022 trilogy	1978, 2018, 2021, 2022	all films except the first

Original storyline

Official trailer · “Halloween” (1978)

5 films · 1978–1995

A classic sequence without reboots. First two films about one night in Haddonfield, then three parts with a supernatural storyline that Wikipedia calls the “Thorn trilogy.” Between the second and fourth films sits “Halloween III,” but it does not belong to this storyline.

Film	Year	Initial situation
Halloween	1978	Escaped mental hospital patient Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield and stalks babysitter Laurie Strode, while his psychiatrist gives chase.
Halloween II	1981	Begins right after the first film: Michael follows Laurie to the hospital.
Halloween 4	1988	Michael reappears after a film without him and heads to Haddonfield.
Halloween 5	1989	Directly continues the fourth film.
Halloween 6	1995	Develops the supernatural storyline with the Thorn cult that the fifth film began.

H20 storyline

4 films · 1978–2002

This storyline branches off from the second film and immediately jumps twenty years ahead. Wikipedia notes that “20 Years Later” ignores the events of films 4–6, and “Resurrection” became the last film in this storyline.

Film	Year	Initial situation
Halloween	1978	Shared beginning with the original storyline.
Halloween II	1981	One night in the hospital, shared with the original storyline.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later	1998	Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) hides from her past and works at a private school in California when Michael finds her.
Halloween: Resurrection	2002	Michael is back in his hometown: his childhood home is used for a live internet horror show.

Rob Zombie remakes

Official trailer · “Halloween II” (2009)

2 films · 2007 and 2009

Director Rob Zombie reworked the 1978 film, adding Michael’s childhood story. It’s a standalone version: it should not be combined with any other storyline.

Film	Year	Initial situation
Halloween	2007	A remake and prequel: Michael, who killed several people at the age of ten, escapes from a mental hospital and seventeen years later tracks down Laurie and her friends.
Halloween II	2009	A sequel to the remake about the aftermath of the first film; it is not a remake of the 1981 “Halloween II.”

2018–2022 trilogy

Official trailer · “Halloween” (2018)

4 films · 1978 and 2018–2022

Director David Gordon Green made a direct sequel to the 1978 film that ignores all the other parts. The franchise rights were then acquired by Blumhouse with the involvement of John Carpenter, and Jamie Lee Curtis returned in the role of Laurie Strode.

Film	Year	Initial situation
Halloween	1978	The only one of the previous films that this storyline acknowledges.
Halloween	2018	Forty years later, Laurie prepares to face Michael, who has broken free again.
Halloween Kills	2021	Begins the same night the 2018 film ended.
Halloween Ends	2022	The trilogy’s finale: the focus is on Corey Cunningham, whom the town considers an outcast, and Laurie’s granddaughter.

A special case: “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”

Official trailer · “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1982)

This is the only film in the franchise without Michael Myers, and according to Wikipedia it is not connected to any other. Carpenter and Debra Hill saw “Halloween” as an anthology with separate stories, and the third film was meant to be its first step. A doctor investigates a patient’s murder and uncovers a sinister plan linked to a maker of Halloween masks.

Where to start

What you need	What to watch
Classics and nothing extra	Halloween (1978)
A complete modern story	Halloween (1978) → Halloween (2018) → Halloween Kills → Halloween Ends
A short storyline with Laurie’s return	Halloween (1978) → Halloween II → Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, then Resurrection
A standalone remake	Halloween (2007) → Halloween II (2009)
A film without Michael Myers	Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Tip. Three of the four storylines begin with the first Halloween from 1978, and the Zombie storyline reworks exactly that one. So start with it, and choose the sequel afterward.

According to Wikipedia, the franchise’s last film is Halloween Ends, which was released in the US on October 14, 2022. Officially, a new film has not been announced with a release date (as of October 17, 2026). If after Halloween you want more slashers, watch “Scream” in order.

Frequently asked questions

How many Michael Myers films are there?

There are thirteen films in the franchise, but Myers does not appear in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, so with him there are twelve.

Can I watch all the films back to back by release year?

You can, but the story won’t add up: the storylines contradict each other. H20 ignores films 4–6, the 2018–2022 trilogy acknowledges only the first film, and the Zombie remakes tell their own story.

Can I skip films 4–6?

Yes, if you choose the H20 storyline or the 2018–2022 trilogy: the first ignores films 4–6, and the second acknowledges only the 1978 film.

Do I need to watch Halloween III?

No, if you are interested in Michael Myers: this film is not connected to anything else and tells a separate story.

Which film is the last in the franchise?

Halloween Ends (2022), which concludes David Gordon Green’s trilogy and was released in the US on October 14, 2022.

Sources

Data was checked against Wikipedia on October 17, 2026.

“Halloween” (Michael Myers): What Order to Watch

In short