Quentin Tarantino Calls This Popular Horror Franchise “Awful” — Here’s Why

Quentin Tarantino revealed in a 2019 interview with Consequence that he was once in line to write a sequel for the Halloween franchise.

The follow-up would have continued the story from 1989’s Halloween 5: The Curse of Michael Myers. Tarantino shared his early ideas, saying, “Yeah, I was like, ‘Leave that scene where [the Man in Black] shows up, alright, and freeze Michael Myers.’ And so the only thing that I had in my mind… was like the first 20 minutes would have been the Lee Van Cleef dude and Michael Myers on the highway… wherever Michael Myers stops, he kills everybody. So, they’re like leaving a trail of bodies on Route 66.”

Tarantino explained that he was approached to write the continuation after directing Reservoir Dogs and selling the script for True Romance.

However, he chose to direct Pulp Fiction instead and abandoned the Halloween project. He later shared his critical view of the franchise, particularly the sequels. “The sequels were horrible. They’re like fruit from a poison tree because Laurie is not the brother of the Shape,” he said, referring to the reveal in Halloween II that Michael Myers and Laurie Strode are siblings. Tarantino added, “It’s horrible that it does that. There’s something far more scary that he’s going through Haddonfield, and it’s just her… I think they just yanked some idea out of their a**… and now part two has a reason.”

The Halloween series began with John Carpenter and Debra Hill’s 1978 original film. It follows Michael Myers, who, after murdering his sister as a child, escapes from a sanitarium fifteen years later to terrorize the town of Haddonfield, Illinois.

The films typically take place on Halloween and feature recurring characters such as Laurie Strode, played primarily by Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dr. Samuel Loomis, played by Donald Pleasence. The original Halloween inspired numerous slasher films and remains highly influential.

Over the years, the franchise expanded to thirteen films, including sequels, remakes, and reboots. Halloween II (1981) through Halloween Ends (2022) explored different timelines and storylines, often creating confusion for viewers. Some entries, like Halloween III: Season of the Witch, had no direct connection to Michael Myers.

Rob Zombie also directed a remake in 2007 and its sequel in 2009. The 2018 film ignored previous sequels and received mostly positive reviews, while other sequels often earned mixed or negative reactions. Forbes’ Scott Mendelson described the franchise as the “Choose Your Own Adventure” of horror movie franchises.

The series has been commercially successful, grossing over $884 million worldwide and ranking as the top American horror film franchise in adjusted U.S. box office earnings. Despite its financial success, the critical reception varies widely.

The original film was praised for its suspense and innovation, but many sequels have been criticized for weak plots and reliance on horror tropes rather than originality. The franchise remains iconic but polarizing, and a television series is currently in development.

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