The Jason Universe is the result of a lengthy legal battle over the horror franchise Friday the 13th and one of the most popular movie characters of all time, Jason Voorhees. Horror Inc., the official owners of the Jason property, have teased that from now on, the character will occupy multiple areas of the entertainment spectrum. As fans await further news about the franchise’s future, those holding the rights have confirmed some exciting details: Jason will be back soon, but his return will come in “unexpected ways.”
The Voorhees legacy lives on. A24’s TV prequel Crystal Lake, still in development, will focus on the backstory of the Voorhees tragedy. Most recently, Jason showed no mercy to some unlucky vacationers in the short feature Sweet Revenge, which was simply an appetizer for what Jason could look like in the modern era. In any case, it was a good enough contribution to this new era of Jason, and the first time that horror fans have seen the character in more than a decade.
Robert Barsamian, a Horror Inc. boss and one of the few people allowed to talk about Jason Voorhees, recently spoke about the future of the franchise to SFX magazine, via GamesRadar+. Barsamian didn’t share any key details about plots or timelines, but instead confirmed that a 13th film is in the works. All this following the premise that Jason’s return will be “unexpected”:
“We are actively working on a new movie – which will be the 13th in the franchise – as well as a new videogame. We’re exploring a variety of opportunities, but consistently staying focused on authenticity.”
Exit ‘Friday the 13th,’ Enter the ‘Jason Universe’
What horror fans should be getting used to is the idea that Friday the 13th may be no more as a franchise and that the massively popular movie series has evolved into a branding known as the Jason Universe. The future of this new branding is still uncertain, as Horror Inc. has stayed quiet as to what it actually incorporates in terms of a narrative structure. All we know is that Jason looks a bit different, and that the formal announcement could have been better.
Sheri Conn, one of the marketing heads at Horror Inc., addressed Jason’s look, and the changes that faced a bit of a backlash from the loyal fans that have followed the slasher for decades: “Jason’s had a number of looks across each of the 12 films. So we wanted to pull inspiration from a few of the most iconic.” She added that Jason may suffer slight modification depending on “context”:
“We reimagined the eyes on his mask to make Jason look even more menacing and paid homage to the franchise with the 13 holes in the mask. The new design will be used across the board, with some slight differences in interpretation to fit the specific context of each project.”