Halloween Ends Just Set A Streaming Record
An impressive 2.8 million viewers checked out Peacock for the streaming premiere of Halloween Ends.
The last entry of director David Gordon Green’s Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends, just set a new streaming record. According to Deadline, the latest entry is the most-watched film or series ever on Peacock over a two-day period. Smart TV tracker Samba TV reported last year that the previous film, Halloween Kills, had approximately 2.8 million tuned in for Michael Myers’ brutal murder spree.
Halloween Ends played simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock. Many studios adopted the simultaneous release strategy during the days of the global pandemic. The latest entry is available for Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus subscribers at no additional cost.
After the events of Michael Myers’ horrific spree in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finds herself coming to terms with her “Boogey Man’s” gruesome actions. Director David Gordon Green and frequent collaborator Danny McBride chose to set the sequel four years after Michael slaughtered some of Haddonfield’s residents on Halloween night. His shadow looms over not just the residents but the film itself.
Halloween Ends received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the franchise. It currently sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many criticizing the film’s script. Before the film’s official release, Jamie Lee Curtis jokingly signed a contract on Jimmy Kimmel Live not to appear in any more Halloween movies. Curtis reprised her famous role as Laurie Strode in 2018’s Halloween.
Despite the mixed reviews, Halloween Ends still managed to rack up quite a bit of money at the box office. The film grossed $41.3 million during the opening weekend in the United States and Canada. It also grossed $17.1 million in other territories.
Although it exceeded $40 million, early projects saw Halloween Ends crossing the $50-$60 million range. Many blamed the film’s underperformance due to the simultaneous release strategy by Universal Pictures. Others believed the film’s mixed reviews factor in the middling box office return.
Regardless, Halloween Ends appears to be a smash on streaming. The release of Halloween Ends comes just a couple of weeks after Disney released Marvel’s Werewolf by Night and Hocus Pocus 2. Both projects have stronger Rotten Tomatoes scores than Halloween Ends.
Regarding future projects, composer John Carpenter joked in interviews that future installments might be produced if Halloween Ends is a success. He also stated that director David Gordon Green was adamant about letting Halloween Ends be the final chapter of his trilogy. Producer Jason Blum followed Carpenter’s statement by saying that while Halloween Ends won’t be the final film in the franchise, it will be the last one produced by Blumhouse.
Considering how Halloween Ends wraps up Michael and Laurie’s stories, there is reason to believe that fans of the series won’t see another Halloween film in a long time. The film has a dismal CinemaScore and is widely guarded to be Jamie Lee Curtis’ last outing as Laurie Strode. While it doesn’t mean fans won’t ever see another Halloween film in the future, the chances of it happening within the next five years are slim.
