Halloween Movies in Order: Release Order, Timelines and Where Season of the Witch Fits

Start with Halloween (1978). After that there is no single canon, because the series has been rebooted or re-routed several times, and each branch ignores some of the films that came before it. The practical choice is which branch you want: the 1981 sequel and the Thorn films, the “20 Years Later” pair, Rob Zombie’s remakes, or the 2018 trilogy. Halloween III: Season of the Witch has no Michael Myers and sits outside all of them.

Wikipedia’s franchise article groups the 13 films into five continuities. Those labels are an outside grouping, not studio branding, and this guide follows them. Release dates are US dates unless stated. Streaming rights change by country and month, so this page does not name a service.

Halloween movies in release order

Release order is the simplest way to watch if you want to see how the series changed, but it is not a story order. Several films below are direct sequels to some entries and pretend others never happened.

The five timelines at a glance

If you watch only one pairing, Halloween (1978) followed by Halloween II (1981) is the oldest continuous story. One caution: the 2018 film retcons the sibling twist introduced in II, so that pairing and the 2018 trilogy disagree about who Michael is to Laurie.

Which Halloween path should you pick?

Path 1: the classic double bill

Watch Halloween (1978), then Halloween II (1981). Carpenter’s film premiered in Kansas City on October 24, 1978, runs 91 minutes and is about a psychiatric patient who escapes an institution and returns to his small Illinois hometown, with his psychiatrist following him. Wikipedia records a $300,000–$325,000 budget, about $70 million worldwide, and a 2006 selection for the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.

II runs 92 minutes and begins moments after the first film ends, with Michael going after Laurie Strode at a hospital while Dr. Loomis pursues him. Rick Rosenthal directed it, and Wikipedia notes that Carpenter directed some additional scenes without credit.

Path 2: the modern trilogy

Watch Halloween (1978), then Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. You skip every sequel in between, because the 2018 film continues directly from the original. David Gordon Green directed all three modern films.

• Halloween (2018): 106 minutes. Decades after her ordeal, Laurie prepares for Michael’s return after he escapes custody.
• Halloween Kills (2021): 105 minutes. It picks up the same night as the 2018 film, as the town of Haddonfield organizes to hunt him. It streamed on Peacock’s paid tiers the same day as its US theatrical release.
• Halloween Ends (2022): 111 minutes. The story jumps forward and centers on Corey Cunningham, a young man shunned by his hometown, and his connection to Laurie’s family. It also streamed on Peacock the same day.

Path 3: the Thorn trilogy

Watch Halloween (1978), II, 4, 5 and The Curse of Michael Myers. Wikipedia calls 4, 5 and Curse the Thorn storyline. 4 has Michael escaping custody ten years after the hospital explosion in II, and he goes after his niece, Jamie Lloyd. 5 has Michael pursue Jamie again, with a telepathic connection between them. Curse has him hunt Jamie’s infant son. Donald Pleasence died on February 2, 1995, and this is his last appearance as Dr. Sam Loomis; the film is dedicated to him.

Curse exists in two versions. The theatrical cut had its ending reworked and reshot after a poor test screening. The longer “Producer’s Cut,” with about 45 minutes of alternate footage and a different ending, had its first public screening on October 27, 2013 in Los Angeles and its first official release on Blu-ray in September 2014 in a Scream Factory box set.

Path 4: Laurie’s return

Watch Halloween (1978), II, H20: 20 Years Later and, if you want it, Resurrection. H20 has Laurie, who faked her death, running a private boarding school in California under a new identity. It ignores the Thorn films. Resurrection is the direct sequel and is the last entry in this timeline, with Michael returning to Haddonfield where his childhood house becomes the setting for a live internet horror show.

Path 5: Rob Zombie’s remakes

Watch Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009) on their own. The 2007 film runs 110 minutes theatrically, with a 121-minute unrated director’s cut, and gives Michael a backstory from his childhood crimes onward. II runs 105 minutes and is set a year later, with Laurie dealing with trauma and Dr. Loomis profiting from the tragedy with a new book. These two do not connect to any other branch.

The standalone: Season of the Witch

Halloween III (1982) is a Dr. Dan Challis mystery involving a mask-making company in a small California factory town. Wikipedia says Carpenter and producer Debra Hill agreed to take part only if it was not a direct sequel to II, and that they imagined the series as an anthology of unrelated Halloween stories. It was the lowest-grossing Halloween film when it came out, and it now has a cult following. Michael returned six years later in 4.

How the films were received

Figures below come from the Wikipedia film pages, read on October 31, 2026. Rotten Tomatoes scores move over time, and a dash means this guide did not check that number.

Two figures stand out. The 2018 film opened to $76.2 million domestically, the franchise’s biggest opening, and Wikipedia calls it the highest-grossing slasher film in unadjusted dollars. H20 had been the franchise’s highest earner until 2018. Scores are a guide to critics’ reactions, not a verdict on what you will enjoy.

Is there a new Halloween movie?

As of October 31, 2026, there is no confirmed new Halloween film. Here is what is established and what is not.

Confirmed or well documented:

• Halloween Ends was meant to conclude the 2018 timeline. Wikipedia records Jason Blum saying it would be the last Halloween film under Blumhouse, and Jamie Lee Curtis saying Ends was her last appearance in the series.
• On October 12, 2023, TheWrap reported that Miramax had won the television rights to Halloween after a bidding war run by Malek Akkad’s Trancas International Films, with A24 also bidding. Miramax Television and Trancas agreed to co-create a Halloween series, which the report said could launch a cinematic universe across film and TV.
• Wikipedia says that in March 2024 Marc Helwig said the series would be a creative reset spinning out of the original film instead of continuing the 2018 storyline.

Rumor only:

• A July 2, 2026 Scream Horror Magazine item, headlined “[HEAVY RUMOUR]” and attributed to unnamed “reliable sources,” claims the TV series has been shelved and that Miramax may make a film for 2028, the franchise’s 50th anniversary, possibly with Paramount. We found no studio announcement of a film, director, writer, cast or date. Treat the 2028 date as unconfirmed.

If you want Michael Myers in a playable form, IllFonic’s Halloween: The Game was listed for September 8, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S; our beginner guide covers how it works.

What to watch next

If you finish the slashers and want a different kind of franchise to sort out, our Smile watch order and American Horror Story watch order use the same approach. For general picks outside any one series, start with the beginner horror list. Another classic slasher name is back in the news in the Friday the 13th: Crystal Lake trailer breakdown. Everything we cover on Michael Myers lives on the Halloween franchise page.

FAQ

What order should I watch the Halloween movies in?

Watch Halloween (1978) first, then choose a timeline. The simplest options are Halloween II (1981) for the oldest continuous story, or Halloween (2018), Kills and Ends for the modern trilogy. Release order works if you want to see the series change, but it mixes continuities that contradict each other.

Do I need to watch all 13 Halloween movies?

No. The franchise is split into five continuities, and each branch stands on its own. Pick one path above and watch only its films. Most paths start with the 1978 original; the Rob Zombie remakes and Season of the Witch do not need it.

Is Halloween III: Season of the Witch a Michael Myers movie?

No. It is the only film in the series without Michael Myers. It was planned as the first of a run of unrelated Halloween stories, which is why it follows a different cast and a different plot.

Which Halloween movies are connected to the 2018 reboot?

Only the 1978 original. The 2018 film ignores every installment after it, and Kills and Ends continue from there.

Are Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies part of the main story?

No. The 2007 remake and its 2009 sequel form their own continuity and do not connect to the other films.

Is there a new Halloween movie coming?

No new film has been officially announced. Miramax acquired the television rights in 2023 and planned a series, and a 2026 rumor about a 2028 film has no studio confirmation behind it.

Image credit and context: the hero is an authentic trailer thumbnail from Universal Pictures’ official Halloween (2018) trailer. It is used here for editorial identification of the series’ central character; no Creative Commons or public-domain licence is claimed. Original source: Universal Pictures on YouTube.