‘Friday the 13th’ Is Getting Its First Theatrical Movie in Nearly 20 Years

Jason Voorhees has spent a long time away from the big screen, but horror’s most famous hockey-masked killer is finally on his way back. The ‘Friday the 13th’ franchise has been quietly rebuilding through a new streaming series and a fresh brand. Now that comeback is about to hit theaters, with a familiar name behind the camera.

The franchise’s revival has been building for a couple of years. Horror, Inc. launched Jason Universe in 2024, releasing ‘Sweet Revenge’, a short directed by Mike P. Nelson for the franchise’s 45th anniversary, followed by the Peacock and A24 prequel series ‘Crystal Lake’. All 8 episodes of the series, starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and Callum Vinson as a young Jason, premiered on October 15.

Now Deadline has revealed that the next step is a brand-new theatrical film. Steve Miner, who first put the machete in Jason’s hands in ‘Friday the 13th Part II’ and introduced the legendary hockey mask in ‘Friday the 13th Part III’, is set to direct the film from a script by emerging screenwriter David Fliegel. It will be the 13th entry in the series and the first theatrical feature in nearly 2 decades.

Few filmmakers have a stronger connection to the character. Miner was an associate producer on the original ‘Friday the 13th’ before directing ‘Part 2’ in 1981 and ‘Part III’ in 1982. One fan on X even joked that he’s basically Jason’s personal stylist.

Miner reflected on his famous contribution in the announcement. “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,” he said. “I had no idea that it would live on as one of the most iconic symbols in horror films.”

Find out what Jason really is this Halloween season. Watch the official trailer for CRYSTAL LAKE. All 8 episodes premiere October 15 on Peacock. https://t.co/MiYWEdCpsD

— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) September 13, 2026

The franchise’s owners are equally excited. “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.

The new film is taking an unusual route to theaters. The Barsamian family will independently finance and produce the film through Horror, Inc., with CatchLight Studios, the company behind ‘Heretic’ and ‘Umma’, as its production partner. The announcement lists no production role for New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., or Paramount.

The goal is to appeal to both new and longtime fans. According to the announcement, the film will welcome a new generation of horror fans into the Jason Universe while delivering the practical effects that longtime fans crave. Cast and plot details have yet to be announced, and the film has yet to receive an official title.

The prequel series has helped set the stage for Jason’s return. It follows single mother Pam Voorhees, who has been unable to shake her grief after her young son Jason drowned in the town lake almost a year before. Created by Brad Caleb Kane, the series features theme music by Harry Manfredini.

The new film would mark a long-awaited return to cinemas. It will be the first theatrical ‘Friday the 13th’ movie since the 2009 reboot. By the time the new movie arrives, Jason will have been absent from theaters for 18 years.

Jason won’t be the only slasher icon staging a comeback. News of the new film comes as a new installment in the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ franchise, centered on Jason’s foe Freddy Krueger, percolates at Paramount Primal.

The timing of the announcement is fitting too, landing on a Friday the 13th. With the original architect of Jason’s look back in charge, fans have plenty of reason to be excited about the masked killer’s next trip to Camp Crystal Lake.

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