Much like their lead killers/sociopaths/monsters, horror films refuse to die. Strike it right with one franchise, and you’ve got a license to churn out sequels for years to come. One movie maniac that hasn’t been seen or heard from in a couple of years though, is ol’ hockey-face himself, Jason Voorhees.
The Friday the 13th franchise has been in limbo since 2009’s installment of the slasher franchise, with New Line Cinema and Paramount pictures going at it like a return match out of Jason vs Freddy. And it looks like Paramount has emerged victorious from that brawl for it all. And it’s all thanks to Christopher Nolan.
Thanks to Nolan being a license to print cash with all his films, Warner Bros made a deal with Paramount, the original distributor of Nolan’s upcoming Interstellar. WB wanted to get in on that action so bad, that they offered up co-financing rights for Friday the 13th, a stake in any future South Park movies and a partnership agreement for a summer blockbuster flick in exchange for the distribution rights of Interstellar.
So in essence, it’s a good day to be at Paramount. They get their hands on two lucrative franchises if handled correctly, even though the deal is only for five years. Which means that production needs to start soon on bringing Voorhees back to the big screen. And if Paramount wants to take advantage of a black Friday launch for a new film, the soonest ones will be most likely a February or March 2015 release date.
Last Updated: June 6, 2013
James Francis
June 7, 2013 at 10:08
I want to be happy, but other than Freddy Vs. Jason, this franchise hasn’t produced anything worthwhile since Jason Lives.