Since director John Carpenter first brought the silent serial killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) to the big screen over 40 years ago, the “Halloween” franchise has horrified viewers.
However, Blumhouse brought back the masked slasher villain in 2018 for “Halloween,” featuring an older version of legendary last girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), and it launched a new trilogy of films.
Curtis appears in other sequels over the years, including “Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later” in 1998 and “Halloween: Resurrection” in 2002. However, the Blumhouse trilogy overlooks the events of the previous films in the franchise in order to focus on an older, haunted Laurie, who is still dealing with the trauma of being hunted by Michael in the first two films.
However, “Halloween Ends” in 2022 is intended to be Curtis’ final appearance in the role, and she’s already signed the paperwork to prove it.
The actress came on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday to discuss her career and promote “Halloween Ends,” and the presenter asked her if this is the final time she’ll portray Laurie Strode. Although Curtis stated that she was “definitely” done with the job, Kimmel presented her with a contract to sign to confirm it.
Curtis remarked before signing, “I should call my lawyer first before I sign anything,” as the audience called for her not to sign. But she put pen to paper, emphasizing that her Laurie Strode will not return in a subsequent film.
Leaving the franchise was not an easy decision for the “Freaky Friday” and “Knives Out” star, who also revealed that she had been “weeping” over her departure for quite some time.
“I’ve been weeping for almost a month now trying to figure out how to say goodbye to all of this,” Curtis added.
Curtis’ emotional reaction to saying goodbye to Laurie and Michael is understandable given that the franchise has been a big part of her life for over 40 years. But, happily, the actor’s career is not over.
Curtis was also in A24’s “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,” alongside Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and James Hong. In the film, a Chinese American lady attempts to file her taxes but is drawn into a multiverse adventure as she struggles with her own identity and family.
Curtis told Jimmy Kimmel that she was really proud of the picture, which she described as “a movie about hope, love, and family,” and that it had some truly spectacular combat scenes.