Judy Greer Admits Karen’s Halloween Kills Twist Ending Was the Right Call

Halloween Ends star Judy Greer has confessed that her character Karen Nelson’s surprising death in Halloween Kills was the right call. The Arrested Development actress first joined the long-running Halloween franchise in the confusingly titled Halloween (2018), the legacy sequel/reboot that serves as a direct continuation of the original Halloween (1975), which first introduced the world to Michael Myers. In the movie, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode, Karen’s mother, in the revamped series. The reboot proved to be a massive hit with fans, earning more than $225 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing slasher film in history.

The 2021 follow-up, Halloween Kills, picks up immediately after the events of the first film. Michael Myers escapes the burning house from the previous movie’s finale and kills a crew of firefighters before setting off to Haddonfield, murdering anyone who gets in his way. Meanwhile, Laurie, Karen, and Karen’s daughter Allyson are taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital where a posse forms to hunt the serial killer. They track Michael to his childhood home and Karen lures him to the posse where he is seemingly beaten to death. However, naturally, Michael survives and kills Karen shortly thereafter.

In a recent interview with Collider, Judy Greer admits that her character’s surprise ending in Halloween Kills was the correct call. After Michael Myers is beaten by the mob, in typical slasher film fashion, the serial killer survives and murders the entire crowd. He then reenters his childhood home to find Karen in his sister’s bedroom, the original location of Michael’s very first murder, and stabs Karen to death. Read what the Halloween star had to say below about the shocking ending.

“When it was time to get ready to start shooting Halloween Kills, I got a phone call from David Gordon Green and he was like, ‘We have to talk before I send you the script.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to talk to you, dad. I know what you’re gonna tell me and why does it have to be me?’ And he was like, ‘It has to be someone.’ [Laughs] He’s like, ‘And it can’t be Jamie, and it can’t be your daughter because she’s gotta carry on the mantle!’ And I was like, ‘You …’ Can I say it? Can I say a bad word? ‘You f-cker!’ I was like, ‘Come on, man!’ He’s like, ‘I know. I’m really sorry. I’m trying to figure it out, but there’s just no other way.’ And I was like, ‘Ugh!’ It had to be me. I know. He’s right!”

Greer admits that she doesn’t know why her character had to die at the end of Halloween Kills, but she trusts the filmmakers’ decisions. When asked if she wants to know what happens in the following film, Greer responded that she did not, joking, “no. It’s okay. I’m dead. I can’t read.” The actor will learn the ramifications of her death in the sequel along with the rest of the audience when it releases later this year.

Although Greer does not know the fallout of her character’s untimely death at the end of HalloweenKills, it’s possible that Karen’s demise could lead to the end of the entire Halloween franchise. Laurie’s daughter’s death will not be taken lightly by the family. After all Laurie and Allyson have been through, they will not sit back and let their loved one die in vain. With Laurie’s pent-up hatred and years of self-taught survival skills, it is possible that Karen’s death will be the impetus for a final act of revenge against Michael. HalloweenEndsis slated to hit theaters October 14.

Source: Collider

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