Halloween Ends Star Andi Matichak On Concluding The Story - Exclusive Interview
In "Halloween Ends," the conclusion to director David Gordon Green's rebooted "Halloween" trilogy, Andi Matichak returns as Allyson Nelson, granddaughter of series mainstay Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Decades after the original killing spree by masked serial killer Michael Myers, and four years after the rampage by an escaped Michael that claimed the lives of her father and mother, Allyson is now living with Laurie as the two try to chart a normal life and put the past (and their shared trauma) behind them.
But although Michael hasn't been seen in years, his malignant spirit still hovers over their lives and the rest of the town of Haddonfield like an infection. When Michael finally does emerge again, his presence threatens everyone, including Laurie, Allyson, and Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a young man whose dark past has made him a town pariah even as Allyson is inexplicably drawn to him.
All the main characters converge in a final conflict that will leave no one — even those that survive — unscathed. "This is the final, epic conclusion to our trilogy and these characters," Matichak told Looper in our exclusive interview.
Halloween Ends brings change to her career and character
How has your life and career been changed by being involved with this franchise over the last few years?
It's been tremendously altered. I booked this five years ago ... 2017, I booked [the first] film. It's been a huge part of my life, and it's fallen in a period of my own personal life [where] also — life happens a lot. So much of my life has been steeped in this world and these people, and it's been the ride of a lifetime. It's really bittersweet that it's coming to an end.
Without spoiling anything, Allyson heads in a darker direction in this movie. Were you surprised by the way things go for her in this? Did David Gordon Green give you any brief beforehand on where she might go?
I was briefed beforehand. I want to say it was when we were filming "Halloween Kills" that I was briefed as to the direction that they were going. When I read the script, it wasn't something I was necessarily surprised by. I also think that what is great about this is you meet Allyson four years after, seemingly quite okay and trying to put one foot in front of the other, live a life that's normal and happy, and be okay.
But the thing is that pain and trauma don't go away; they still live in your body and bubble under the surface. Add on top of it the anniversary of the massacre coming up, given that it's Halloween, and it's going to be notched up even a little bit more. Throughout this film, you see these cracks emerge, and you get to take a peek underneath and see what is still lingering.
Dealing with trauma and working with Jamie Lee Curtis
It's interesting how that metaphor for trauma has been sustained over these three movies. Is that something that appealed to you from the start, that there was a lot more that they were trying to say with these films?
Yes. I love that it wasn't something that was heavy-handed, either. It's something that naturally emerged as they tried to truthfully write these characters. That has been the pleasure of it all — it wasn't like they went out to be like, "Let's make a trilogy about trauma." It just so happened that it's laced throughout because that's what reality would be. You can't bundle up your trauma and put it in a drawer and pretend like it never happened. It's still there, and it's going to surface in many different ways at many different times. It's interesting to see where we fall in the unraveling of that in this film with both Allyson and Laurie.
You have a lot more direct, one-on-one interaction with Jamie Lee Curtis in this film. What was it like to work with her so much, and what did you take away from the whole experience?
We were able to settle in and be present with each other. We had a lot of rehearsal time as well, which was important for the film and for their relationship and their arc. The relationship between Allyson and Laurie is incredibly layered and incredibly complex, and you see it get tested throughout this. Allyson very much is a mirror to Laurie in a way from the 1978 film. That's part of the reason why they understand each other, and that's also a reason why they butt heads in a huge way.
Getting to work with Jamie and craft these relationships with her, I learned so much about the process and about the approach. [I learned] also about being open to trying [one thing] and then switching gears completely and doing the same scene a completely different way, then seeing what works and basically taking everything apart so you can rebuild it together, which is really special.
How David Gordon Green runs the set and where Halloween goes from here
What kind of set does David [Gordon Green] run? Does he like to keep everybody in a serious, dark headspace, or does he try to keep it light between takes?
He leans more toward a lighter set environment, but also there are days and there are particular scenes where it calls for silence and respect and quiet. He's not afraid to call that shot. His sets are really fun, and it's attributed a lot to him picking the crew. He handpicked the crew — it's been the same over the years. He's finagled down this group of people that he has a shorthand with about how to make movies, so it's all the same faces.
We made three movies with the same crew, and that was so much fun. It was like going back to film camp every year and getting to play with these people and create with these people again. That is the environment he creates. He only brings people on set that are serious about what they do, are good at what they do, and have a good attitude about it. It makes for a fun time.
Who breaks character and starts laughing first? You can include Judy Greer, Will Patton, or anybody from the other films too.
Definitely not Will — Will is always on. I don't know; probably me or Rohan, both of us. We definitely had a ball filming this movie.
Do you think "Halloween" really ends here? Would you entertain the idea of coming back again years down the line, almost in the space that Jamie Lee Curtis' character occupies now?
You can never even come close to Jamie Lee, and I would never even try. This is the final, epic conclusion to our trilogy and these characters. It's really well done, and it's fun and unexpected.
Andi Matichak's favorite movie is an unusual choice
Do you have a favorite movie of all time and why?
That's hard ... This is really out there — well, not really out there, but "Harold and Maude" is one that always comes to mind that I probably watch the most often. I'll probably watch it once a year. I love that movie. It was the first time I'd seen a lot of those ways of storytelling. I remember the first time I watched it, I was like, "What?" I love that and I love the soundtrack of that film.
But it's tough to pick an all-time favorite. You have a rotating list of five, probably, but that's the one that sticks out in my brain.
Do you have an actor or director that you have not worked with yet that you would love to work with?
The list goes so deep ... People are always like, "What's the character you'd like to play the most?" or "What's your dream role?" For me, it's the people involved in it that make me excited about something. A role can also make you excited, and that is a big part of it, but the idea of working with ... You have so many new voices in the space. I can name so many. I have probably 17 names in my head.
"Halloween Ends" is out now in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
Meta's Messenger, Instagram, Horizon Worlds, and Creative Shop have teamed up with Universal Pictures' HALLOWEEN ENDS to provide one lucky fan the opportunity to attend the first-ever virtual meet 'n greet with Jamie Lee Curtis in a custom-built Halloween Horizon World. Fans can join the final fight today by building their own custom #KillerReels on both Messenger and Instagram. To enter, head to the @HalloweenMovie Facebook page and click 'Send Message,' or send a DM to @HalloweenMovie on Instagram and follow the prompts from there!
This interview was edited for clarity.