This decade has been kind to loyal horror fans. With the upcoming Child's Play remake coming out, it's important to reflect on how far horror has come since the start of the decade. Horror reboots are back, but, for the most part, they're actually good. The status of long-running horror franchises looked bleak in 2010 after the disappointing remakes of Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
It in 2017 changed things. While original horror had been picking up steam leading up to this (The Conjuring, The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch), It proved that horror can make serious money at the box office. Nostalgia for old horror classics could turn into big money. Not every reboot or sequel has been successful (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel, Leatherface, doesn't have many fans). But Halloween, Ash vs. The Evil Dead and (hopefully) Child's Play are proving that horror franchises can return from the dead.
So, what horror franchises are coming next? Will 2020 or beyond see the return of Freddy and Jason?
What Is Coming
Before the speculation starts, it is important to look at what is on the table.
It: Chapter 2 is coming in a few months. A trailer is already out for that, proving that the horror blockbuster is alive and well. The Conjuring series continues with Annabelle Comes Home and The Conjuring 3.
But oddly enough, in regards to whose future in horror looks brightest, it's Clive Barker. Two of his most beloved horror properties appear to be coming to life in the next few years.
Jordan Peele, fresh off of his success with Us, is producing and co-writing a reboot and "spiritual sequel" of the '90s classic Candyman. The film will be directed by Nia DaCosta (Little Woods). Original Candyman actor Tony Todd will return, joining new actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris. That comes out June 12, 2020.
David S. Goyer was recently signed on to produce and write a reboot of Hellraiser. There is no release date set yet, but it is expected to be the first theatrical Hellraiser film since Hellraiser: Bloodlines (the next six films were straight-to-video).
But beyond Barker's catalog, other horror reboots are coming. The Grudge will receive a reboot as well, though little is known about that project. Halloween, after its successful reboot, appears to be back on track for a sequel. The crew of the prior film is expected to return to continue the new story.
So, horror on the whole appears to be progressing well on the big screen. There are numerous other projects in development, including a Child's Play television series that will continue the plot of the original series, and a new Critters movie. But if you've read this far, what you really want to know is "When are Freddy and Jason coming back?"
Dreams Become Reality
The It films are produced by New Line Cinema, which in some circles is still referred to as "The House that Freddy Built." After the success of Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Line went from distributing Reefer Madness to colleges to producing some of the biggest titles of the next two decades.
With the arguable exception of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, every film was met with success at the box office and among fans -- though some, such as Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Wes Craven's New Nightmare and the original stand out.
But since the success of It, interest in a reboot has been piqued. It, in many ways, is similar to Nightmare, seeing as how both feature a nightmarish entity who preys on children by utilizing their worst fears against them. In addition, Robert Englund reprised his role as Freddy in a cameo on The Goldbergs. The success of this one episode proves there is a huge audience for Freddy out there. So, why hasn't New Line rebooted it yet?
There is a script for a reboot currently in development at New Line. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who worked on The Conjuring 2, Aquaman and Orphan, is developing a script for the studio. However, he claims the studio is more focused on The Conjuring franchise at the moment, but that everyone there wants to make a Freddy film. So, for Freddy, it's only a matter of time.
Jason, however, is a more complicated story.
Dead in the Water
No one really knows who can reboot Jason and Friday the 13th because the courts haven't decided who owns the rights to the character.
While Platinum Dunes did start work on a sequel to their Friday the 13th reboot, production stalled when the rights kept shuffling around. The most recent -- and relevant -- drama is the continued controversy between the original director, Sean S. Cunningham, and the original film's writer, Victor Miller. The full details of the legal battle can be read here, but suffice it to say that both people are claiming that they own the rights to the franchise.
However, multiple parties have expressed interest in rebooting the franchise once there is some semblance of order established. Jason Blum, the head of Blumhouse Studios, expressed interest in rebooting the franchise like Halloween (which he also produced). At one point, Lebron James indicated he'd like to produce a reboot.
But all of that talk means precious little until this legal battle is over. So, while Freddy might see new life in the coming years, it could take a very long time before Jason returns to Camp Crystal Lake.
Opening Friday nationwide, director Lars Klevberg's Child's Play stars Aubrey Plaza, Mark Hamill, Brian Tyree Henry and Gabriel Bateman.