If you planned on neglecting your camp counselor duties to canoodle in a shack, you might want to reconsider. On a very special Friday the 13th, Deadline made the exclusive announcement that Jason Voorhees is heading back to the big screen for the first time in nearly two decades. Steve Miner, the director of Friday the 13th Part II and Friday the 13th Part III (aka two of the best in the entire series), will helm the new film from a screenplay by David Fliegel. Not only is Miner partially responsible for one of the franchise's best final girls, Ginny, played by Amy Steel in Part II, but Friday the 13th Part III is also notable for being the film in which Jason acquired his now-iconic hockey mask.
The film will be independently financed and produced by the Barsamian family, which controls the franchise through Horror, Inc. The move brings Friday the 13th back to its independent filmmaking roots, with the family retaining creative control over the project. This is huge, given the legal mess that has plagued the series for years.
“For generations of fans, Jason’s identity is inseparable from the creative choices Steve Miner brought to the screen,” said Robbie Barsamian, Executive Vice President of Horror, Inc., in a statement. “Reuniting with Steve under a fully independent model allows us the creative control to honor what makes Jason the greatest slasher of all time and deliver the definitive theatrical event that today’s audiences expect.”
Miner is equally excited to return to Camp Crystal Lake. “When I put the hockey mask on Jason for Friday the 13th Part III, I knew it would create a truly scary image that would work for that movie. I had no idea that it would live on as one of the most iconic symbols in horror films. I’m thrilled to come back and continue the legacy,” he said.
CatchLight Studios, whose credits include A24’s Heretic and Umma, will serve as Horror, Inc.’s production partner. Cineverse has acquired North American distribution rights, including theatrical release. The distributor has recently found considerable success with the Terrifier sequels. “Jason is one of the most recognizable figures in cinema history. We have a proven track record of empowering uncompromising genre filmmaking and connecting it directly with passionate audiences, and are honored to be a part of bringing Jason back to theaters where he belongs,” said Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cineverse.
Jeanette Volturno, Co-Founder of CatchLight Studios, added: “Bringing an icon like Jason back to the screen requires dedication to craft and a deep respect for the fandom. We’re excited to collaborate with Steve and Robbie to create a practically shot film that is relentless, cinematic and terrifying.”
The new film will be the 13th theatrical entry in the franchise and the first since the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot from Warner Bros. While plot details remain under wraps, the production promises to bring Jason back to theaters for a new generation of horror fans, with practical effects and the brutal kills longtime fans expect. They better bring it. The In A Violent Nature films have very much grabbed the baton from Friday the 13th, delivering gnarly kills from a silent, masked slasher in the woods.
The announcement comes on the heels of Peacock and A24’s success with the Crystal Lake prequel series starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and Callum Vinson as a young Jason. Per Deadline’s reporting via Nielsen, the series generated 1.3 billion minutes viewed during its first 11 days, giving Peacock its fourth-biggest debut for a scripted original series. Whether or not the canon reset of the series will influence the new film will have to be seen, but we’re talking about a franchise that has already sent the big guy to space. Anything’s possible when it comes to Jason Voorhees.
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Can’t wait for the new film? Celebrate Friday the 13th with FANGORIA at Regal today for our screening of Friday the 13th: Part VI: Jason Lives, and be sure to pick up this killer collectible patch.
