In the current trilogy of Halloween films directed by David Gordon Green, Michael Myers has been seen without his mask a few times, but his face has been concealed in each picture. However, stuntwoman Lydia Hand revealed a behind-the-scenes photo that gives us our finest look yet at the character.
While Michael’s identity has never been a secret and audiences have seen him unmasked in the original Halloween, this shot from the making of Halloween Ends reveals the effects of years of aging and injuries on James Jude Courtney‘s face, who portrays Michael in this film series. Check out the photo from behind the scenes below, and watch Halloween Ends in theatres and on Peacock now.
“A conclusion to the trilogy!!,” Hand captioned the series of posts. “I’ve had so much fun and met so many lovely folks on this cast and crew. For the past four years, [Andi Matichak] has been incredibly appreciative and in awe of your affection. You killed it!!”
In Halloween films, Michael Myers is typically a threatening presence with an intimidating face, but in this set photo, the man behind the mask is smiling next to the stuntwoman for Andi Matichak’s Allyson Nelson, and they are holding hands. James Jude Courtney’s face is covered in prosthetics that represent burns. It honestly feels wrong to see Michael without his disguise, but the journey has reached its conclusion, so whatever. All wagers are void.
As seen in the series of posts, Myers has endured a great deal of pain over the years, and while the new film may not have overtly displayed these wounds, Courtney was required to apply prosthetics to mimic these severe scars for the moments in which he is and is not wearing the mask. Specifically, as evidenced by the manner in which half of his mask was destroyed following the conclusion of Halloween, half of his face has suffered serious burns.
In the original Halloween, actor Nick Castle portrayed Michael Myers in the bulk of sequences in which he wore a mask, while actor Tony Moran portrayed Myers in the scene in which his mask is removed. The legends surrounding Moran’s casting in the original film revolve around writer Debra Hill‘s belief that he had an “angelic” face, which would parallel Michael’s more innocent appearance as a little kid at the beginning of the film, acting as a contrast to the horrors he did.
Since Jamie Lee Curtis’ return to the franchise for 2018’s Halloween, James Jude Courtney has portrayed Michael Myers and remained in the cast throughout the trilogy. Courtney is 6’3 tall, and many viewpoints of him have been captured in the three most recent films, but this one is just great. Nick Castle, who portrayed the original The Shape, has some connection to Halloween Ends.
Even though Universal also made Halloween Ends accessible on Peacock day-and-date, the film’s opening weekend grossed $41 million in cinemas. The choice was contentious, especially considering the film’s obvious popularity among horror fans. The new release has gotten mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, although CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes rated Halloween Ends a 4 out of 5 in his review, stating that Laurie Strode receives the ending “she deserves” by the time the final credits roll, despite the film’s surprise nature.
One must ask if this is truly the end of Halloween. Michael Myers has remained a horror mainstay over the years, and the original Halloween film is still widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. James Jude Courtney has established himself as this generation’s Michael Myers, but it remains to be seen how long the series can remain untarnished after Halloween Ends.