Friday the 13th creator Sean S. Cunningham has seemingly announced that a new film in the long-running slasher franchise will be released in 2023.
The news has not yet been officially announced, but was rather spotted by fans in the creator's "About" profile on the video message-sharing website Cameo, which reads: "Sean S. Cunningham directed and produced the seminal horror film Friday [the] 13th, creating the iconic villain Jason Voorhees. The movie has spawned 12 installments with a 13th scheduled for next year."
A new Friday the 13th movie was previously teased by Roy Lee, a producer behind several popular horror movies like The Ring, Blair Witch and It. "[A new Friday the 13th movie] is something that I would love to talk about. You may be hearing something by year’s end… on that front," the producer said in Aug. 2022. Lee has been attached to a new Friday the 13th film since 2018 when his production company Vertigo Entertainment was set to produce a new installment in the franchise, which never happened due to the Friday the 13th legal battle.
Is Jason Voorhees About to Make A Killer Comeback?
After the release of the 2009 remake, no new Friday the 13th films could be developed in the franchise due to a legal battle between Cunningham and the original film's writer Victor Miller. The long-gestating legal battle seemingly came to a close in Sept. 2021 when Miller won the domestic rights to the franchise. However, Cunningham still owns the character of adult Jason, who was introduced in later sequels, meaning both parties still need to work together for a future film to use adult Jason, the Camp Crystal Lake setting and the Friday the 13th title. Lee's comments, however, along with Cunningham's Cameo biography, seem to hint that an agreement has been reached between Miller and Cunningham and that the long-awaited thirteenth Friday the 13th film is secretly in development for a release next year.
Friday the 13th is considered one of the most successful film franchises. The series began in 1980 with the release of the original Friday the 13th, which followed a group of camp counselors trying to reopen a summer camp called Crystal Lake and being mysteriously stalked and murdered by an unseen killer. The horror film was a box office success and was followed by nine sequels, one crossover with the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and a 2009 remake. Besides the original film, every installment heavily features the character of Jason Voorhees. Friday the 13th also held the record for being the highest-grossing horror franchise in the world until 2018's Halloween was released and grossed over $250 million worldwide, leading to Michael Myers taking the top spot away from Jason Voorhees.
The new Friday the 13th film is expected to release in 2023.
Source: Cameo