David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends was not exactly welcomed by franchise fans with open arms when it was released in theaters and on Peacock earlier this month. While there was great anticipation heading into the sequel, which brings an end to the 44-year feud between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, Halloween Ends was met with backlash from horror fans unhappy with some of the creative directions taken in the movie. It's labeled as rotten with both critics and audiences at Rotten Tomatoes and some fans have gone so far as to sign a petition calling for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures to reshoot the film from scratch.

Despite the backlash, there have been others who've enjoyed the film. You can count John Carpenter, who directed and co-wrote the first Halloween movie, among them. In a recent interview with MovieMaker, Carpenter touched on the new Halloween trilogy developed under the watch of Green. While he was only on set for the 2018 film and neither of the sequels, he says he was satisfied with Halloween Ends, having this to say about the film.

"It was good! I enjoyed it. It’s very different. I enjoyed the risks that it took. Jamie (Lee Curtis) was just extraordinary in it. She’s just wonderful. I’m so proud of her."

Halloween Ends takes the story in some unexpected directions, and Carpenter also explained how this meant approaching the score to the film in a different way. Carpenter goes on to praise Green and his methods as a director, appreciating how he presented Halloween Ends as a "very different" installment of the series.

"The movie’s so different that we had to do everything differently. He challenged us on a couple of things, which was great, then gave us ultimate freedom on a couple others, which is also great. We had a great time working with him. He’s a wonderful director. Knows what he wants, not afraid to take chances. He really did a terrific job. This one’s a totally different movie. Very different. And it was like a puzzle to figure out how to put this thing together, but he did, and did it well."

Related: Halloween Ends Had the Right Idea in the Wrong Movie

John Carpenter Couldn't Have Imagined Michael and Laurie's Story Lasting So Long

rohan campbell halloween ends
Universal Pictures

This new trilogy of Halloween films marks yet another time the franchise has been rebooted. We have seen Laurie Strode in many different timelines at this point, including one where she's even been killed by Michael Myers on-screen. Carpenter says he has no clue what it is about these characters that has given them an everlasting appeal with horror fans. He always figured that their story was finished in the early 1980s when he moved on to Halloween III: Season of the Witch, never imagining that there could be so much more to come from the Michael vs. Laurie saga.

"Believe me, I didn’t imagine anything. My movie ended in 1978 — years ago — ​​that was it. Halloween II, which I had a hand in writing… it wasn’t something that I really cared about. My movie’s over. And this is totally new ground, so it wasn’t about me imagining anything."

Halloween Ends is playing in theaters and on Peacock.