You’re sitting on the couch, the October wind is howling outside, and you want to start a marathon. You search for halloween how many movies and suddenly you're staring at a mess of 13 different titles, four separate timelines, and a guy who has been "permanently" killed off more times than a soap opera villain.
It’s honestly a lot.
Most people think it’s a simple 1-to-13 list. It isn't. The Halloween franchise is less like a straight line and more like a "choose your own adventure" book that someone dropped in a blender. If you’re trying to count them, the official number is 13, but that number carries some massive asterisks.
The Magic Number is 13 (For Now)
As of early 2026, there are exactly 13 feature films in the Halloween franchise. This count includes everything from the 1978 John Carpenter masterpiece to the polarizing Halloween Ends that dropped in 2022.
But here’s the thing. You can’t just watch them in order and expect a coherent story. If you try, you’ll see Laurie Strode die, come back to life, die again, and then suddenly become a grandmother who never had a brother. It's confusing. Basically, the series has been rebooted so many times that the total count is really the only thing that stays consistent.
Why the Count is So Messy
The reason people struggle with the "halloween how many movies" question is the timeline splits. We aren't dealing with one long story. We're dealing with five different versions of reality.
First, you’ve got the Thorn Trilogy. This covers the first six movies, ending with The Curse of Michael Myers (the one with a young Paul Rudd). In this world, Michael is part of a Druid cult. It's weird. It’s very 90s.
Then Jamie Lee Curtis decided she wanted back in for the 20th anniversary. So, the producers just... ignored movies 4, 5, and 6. They made Halloween H20 and Halloween: Resurrection. In this timeline, Michael is Laurie's brother, but there's no Druid stuff.
Then came Rob Zombie. He did a remake and a sequel (Movies 9 and 10). These exist in their own gritty, ultra-violent bubble.
Finally, Blumhouse stepped in for the 40th anniversary. They decided to delete everything except the very first 1978 movie. No brother-sister twist. No cults. Just a random killer and the woman he traumatized. This "H40" trilogy—Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends—brought the total to 13.
The Michael Myers Problem
Wait, what about movie number three?
Honestly, Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the black sheep of the family. If you’re counting "Michael Myers movies," the number actually drops to 12.
The creators originally wanted the franchise to be an anthology—a different scary story every year. Michael was supposed to be dead after the second movie. But fans hated the lack of the masked killer so much that the studio panicked and brought him back for part four. Season of the Witch is actually a great movie about evil masks and robots, but it has zero to do with Michael.
Where the Franchise Goes Next
So, will the number stay at 13? Probably not.
History shows that Michael Myers is the ultimate cash cow. Even though Halloween Ends was marketed as the "final" face-off, Miramax recently won a bidding war for the television rights. We’re likely looking at a cinematic universe or a high-budget series that could technically count as "movies" depending on how they’re released.
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The industry reality is that as long as that white mask sells tickets, they’ll keep adding to the pile.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Marathon
- Don't watch all 13 in a row. You’ll get a headache from the continuity errors.
- Pick a "Path." If you want the best experience, watch the 1978 original and then skip straight to the 2018-2022 trilogy.
- Watch the Producer's Cut. If you brave the sixth movie, The Curse of Michael Myers, hunt down the "Producer's Cut." It’s a completely different movie than the theatrical version and actually makes some sense.
- Give Part 3 a Chance. Treat Season of the Witch as a standalone film on a random Tuesday. It’s better when you aren't expecting a slasher.
Check the streaming rights before you start. Since these movies were made by different studios (Universal, Dimension, Compass), they are almost never all on the same platform at once. You'll likely need a mix of Peacock, AMC+, and old-fashioned rentals to hit every entry.