The Friday the 13th franchise stands as one of the most emblematic in the horror genre, with its central antagonist, Jason Voorhees, being a slasher icon. This makes his notable absence from the big screen for over 15 years quite perplexing.
This enduring film series revolves around Jason Voorhees, an apparently invincible figure whose storyline has been rebooted and redirected away from Camp Crystal Lake on numerous occasions.
While other famous horror franchises like Halloween, Alien, and Scream have flourished with new installments and variations released every few years, the Friday the 13th franchise has remained completely inactive.
It’s true that no Friday the 13th film has ever been a hallmark of cinematic brilliance, nor has any entry made a significant impact at the box office. Nonetheless, in the current era dominated by streaming services, it is quite unusual for a nostalgia-rich franchise to stay dormant for more than 15 years.
1. How long has it been since the last Friday the 13th movie?
The last attempt to resurrect Jason Voorhees occurred in 2009, making it 15 years since the last film. Friday the 13th (2009) was designed as a reboot of the franchise, resetting its timeline and continuity.
The storyline echoed the initial three Friday the 13th films, presenting Jason in a somewhat sympathetic light despite his relentless killing spree. Notably, the film performed well at the box office, amassing over $92 million against a budget of under $19 million.
However, it mirrored the same pitfalls as most earlier films in the series. By largely recycling elements from the first few installments, it failed to introduce anything new. Jason appeared slimmer than the hulking monster he had become in later films, yet the mask was still crafted from a mold of the Friday the 13th Part III mask.
The movie received poor critical reviews, and despite becoming the franchise’s second-highest grossing film, it did little to compel any studio to take a renewed interest in the franchise.
2. Why haven’t there been any new Friday the 13th movies?
There were initial plans for a follow-up to the 2009 reboot; however, challenging economic conditions caused it to be set aside by Warner Bros. Pictures, leading to its eventual disappearance.
The rights to the franchise transferred to Paramount Pictures in 2013, who promptly began development on a new installment, originally conceived as a found-footage style film. Following numerous delays and changes in directors and writers, this project, which transitioned into a reboot, was ultimately shelved in 2017, with the rights reverting back to Warner Bros. and New Line in 2018.
During this period, Victor Miller, the writer of the original Friday the 13th film, filed a lawsuit for the rights to the screenplay, which had been held by the company he was initially associated with when creating it.
Years of legal disputes significantly hindered the development of any new Friday the 13th projects; Miller finally secured the rights in September 2021. During this time, there were several ideas for sequels and prequels in the works, including titles like Jason Never Dies, Friday the 13th: The Beginning, and Diary of Pamela Voorhees, yet none were successfully produced.
3. Will there be more Friday the 13th projects?
Despite enduring years of setbacks, the future of Friday the 13th looks hopeful, largely due to a specific promising initiative. Crystal Lake, a prequel series to Friday the 13th, had been announced in 2022 but seemed to be in jeopardy by early 2024.
Fortunately, the project is back on track, now supported by the expert low-budget production company A24. Crystal Lake is currently helmed by Brad Caleb Kane, known for creating the IT prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry, and it is set to premiere on Peacock.
However, Cunningham has explicitly stated that there will not be another Friday the 13th movie for at least the next three years, suggesting that Jason’s next big screen return could be as late as 2027.
About the Friday the 13th franchise
Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise encompassing twelve slasher films, a television series, novels, comic books, video games, and a variety of merchandise.
The series primarily focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who is believed to have drowned as a child at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff.
Years later, the lake becomes infamous as a “cursed” site, leading to a series of mass murders. Jason appears in every film, either as the killer or as the motive behind the killings. The franchise has generated over $468 million in global box office revenue.
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