In 1978, moviegoers were introduced to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, and Michael Myers, who murdered his older sister with a kitchen knife when he was just six years old. He was then incarcerated for 15 years before escaping and partaking in a killing spree before finally attacking seventeen-year-old Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she babysits on Halloween night.

The film had many sequels. However, in 2018, filmmaker David Gordon Green revived the franchise, with his movie picking up years after the original 1978 film. In a controversial decision, Halloween (2018) completely negates all sequels.

The rebooted sequel picked up in 2018, years after Michael was recaptured. Laurie, now a mother and grandmother, lived in isolation, fearful of the killer's return and what it could mean for her family. The ensuing film and sequel Halloween Kills takes the viewer on a wild Halloween night as Michael returns to Haddonfield and leaves a bloody trail back to his childhood home, culminating in his final kill: Laurie's daughter Karen (Judy Greer). Now, fans are gearing up to see how it all ends in Halloween Ends.

Halloween Ends

Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends
Universal Pictures

The third and final film of the iconic horror franchise is due to release exclusively to theatres on October 14, 2022. The official synopsis reads:

“Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.”

Related: Halloween Ends Trailer Breakdown: Laurie Is Ready for a Showdown

The film was quite the endeavor and cathartic for some. Curtis recalled to People:

"The last shot [filmed] was [part of] a night shoot and I was in a car—it was a close-up of me in the car. And when we got out of the car, it was 4:30 in the morning and there was the picture of my face on the screen. And I realized that was the last image of Laurie Strode after 44 years of portraying her. Isn't that amazing? And it felt very satisfying. I think people are going to lose their minds."

What will cause fans to “lose their minds,” though? John Carpenter told SyFy Wire that the film would be “a departure from the others.” Director Dave Gordon Green chimed in, stating:

“[I wanted] to restrain myself and behave and wrap it up in a conclusive way. Because if I look at it as a personal opportunity for me to play with the characters and the world that John Carpenter and Debra Hill created, I [wanted to] make it very contained and controllable…do some quality control for lack of a better term and have some fun in that wheelhouse and then say goodnight and let the next generation and the next filmmaker and the next great creative idea take over with that mythology."

With all the information swirling around, fans have already begun compiling their theories on where the story will go in the final Halloween film.

Will Laurie Be a Villain?

Halloween Ends Will Probably Be the End of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Universal Pictures

One theory is that Michael isn’t actually all that violent. He simply wants to go back home and stare out Judith’s window -- a detail revealed in Halloween Kills. The reason he kills is that all these people are keeping him from accomplishing his goal. He is described as having the mind of a child; in that sense, the killings are his over-reactive tantrums. He doesn’t understand exactly what he’s doing. He just wants to go home.

However, he is continuously thwarted by Laurie, whose vendetta has fueled her for years, and she is now determined to kill Michael, as are the residents of Haddonfield. This could mean that Laurie is actually the true villain of Haddonfield, as none of the events would have taken place if she hadn’t gotten in Michael’s way.

Is Michael's Mask Cursed by Silver Shamrock?

Halloween-(1978)-1
Compass International Pictures

Another theory is that Michael’s mask is one of the masks from Silver Shamrock, a company in Halloween III: Season of the Witch. In the film, the masks created by the company were cursed, which could mean that Michael was cursed from the moment he put on the mask at just six years old, condemning him to be a killer.

Related: Halloween Ends is a 'Departure' for the Franchise, Says John Carpenter

Theorists cited in the 2018 film when the podcasters visiting Michael held up the masks, and it caused the other patients to go crazy as evidence. However, as Carpenter has stated that these films have nothing to do with the other sequels and remakes, this theory doesn’t hold much ground.

Will Haddonfield be a Ghost Town?

halloween-kills-allyson
Universal Pictures

One of the most popular theories was to acknowledge the pandemic and return to the film's roots. A fan wrote,

“After Kills we will see Michael give up very much like in the 1978 flashback scene and be arrested. He’s back in Smith’s Grove. Haddonfield will be a ghost town. Between pandemic lockdowns and probably half the town’s population leaving after the 2018 massacre it will almost have tumbleweeds blowing through it."

The theory continues to insinuate that most of the film could take place in Smith’s Grove and showcase the desolate town to add more tragedy to the overall franchise. It would leave Michael’s end to feel more haunting as he takes a whole town with him.

For now, though, fans are just left to speculate and await the film's release to find out how the Boogeyman will finally meet his end…and who will be holding the knife in the end.