Friday the 13th franchise dead…for now
Friday the 13th is a classic American horror franchise that’s comprised of twelve slasher films ranging from 1980 to 2009. However, breathing life into this seemingly “dead” franchise is proving to be challenging, with ongoing court proceedings surrounding the revival of any Jason Voorhees movies. It’s been thirteen years since the last flick hit the big screen and fans are anxiously awaiting the return of their favorite machete-wielding killer. Learn more about what’s happening below.
What’s happening with the Friday the 13th franchise?
For those who haven’t been following the court case, the original Friday the 13th screenwriter, Victor Miller is currently gaining some ground. His characters and places are being returned after the studio attempted to strip away his rights to the storyline stating that as a screenwriter he is an independent contractor. While this may be the case, lawyer Larry Zerner—played Shelly in Friday the 13: Part III—has explained that the court has not filed an appeal to Miller’s returned rights. While this isn’t a huge victory for the screenwriter, it also isn’t a complete blow. Producer Sean S. Cunningham has also now come aboard the lawsuit.
In a nutshell, Miller owns the rights to Camp Crystal Lake and its characters, whereas Cunningham owns the rights to the hockey mask and many of the characteristics of the character that we’re familiar with. While Miller’s recent win doesn’t quite mean that we will get any Friday the 13th movies made anytime soon, Zerner believes that we are seeing strides towards just that.
While we, unfortunately, can’t promise any new Jason Voorhees movies, we can promise more chilling merchandise. Check out our current collection and anticipate this season’s newest arrivals.