It has been officially announced that Jason Voorhees is finally coming back to theatres, and Horror, Inc. is bringing in someone who knows a thing or two about making the hockey-masked killer terrifying. Steve Miner, director of Friday the 13th Part 2 and Friday the 13th Part III, has been tapped to direct the 13th theatrical entry in the franchise, which is targeting a 2027 release. It will be the first Friday the 13th movie to reach theatres since the 2009 reboot, ending a wait that has tested the patience of Jason’s devoted fans.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this announcement. Miner helped shape Jason’s cinematic identity, the Barsamian family has a connection to the franchise that goes all the way back to the beginning, and the producers are promising practical effects, inventive kills, and a return to the classic slasher experience. But there are also reasons to approach this new era with a little caution. The people guiding the Jason Universe have already made some creative choices that haven’t entirely convinced me they understand what longtime fans want from this character.
The question isn’t whether Jason belongs back on the big screen. Of course he does. The question is whether Horror, Inc. can give him the kind of movie that reminds everyone why he became one of horror’s most enduring icons in the first place.
A fitting return for Steve Miner
Bringing Steve Miner back to Friday the 13th is an inspired choice, at least on paper. His relationship with the franchise goes all the way back to the original 1980 film, on which he worked as an associate producer. He then made his feature directorial debut with Friday the 13th Part 2, before returning to direct Friday the 13th Part III. Those two movies were instrumental in establishing the Jason Voorhees audiences have come to know. Miner was responsible for showing us Jason’s first cinematic killing spree in Part 2 and introducing the hockey mask in Part III. Those movies launched the character into becoming the pop culture icon he is today. The mask became one of the most recognizable images in horror.
Miner went on to build an eclectic directing career. His credits include the horror comedy House, the fantasy horror film Warlock, the slasher Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, the creature feature Lake Placid, and the family drama Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. He also directed the 2008 remake of Day of the Dead and the comedy Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous. His television work includes episodes of The Wonder Years, Dawson’s Creek, Smallville, Psych, Switched at Birth, and Once Upon a Time. It’s worth noting, though, that Miner hasn’t directed a feature film since 2008. His last television directing credit was an episode of Once Upon a Time in 2018. That’s a substantial stretch away from directing, particularly when we’re talking about a major theatrical production. We shouldn’t assume that a filmmaker loses his ability simply because he hasn’t been behind the camera for a feature in nearly two decades, but the gap is something to consider. Especially given the fact that his previous horror movie, that Day of the Dead remake, was very poorly received. Here’s hoping that working with Jason Voorhees again gives Miner some of his old spark back.
There is also a potentially poignant aspect to this assignment. Miner began his feature directing career with Jason Voorhees, and this new movie could conceivably be his final feature. If that happens, it would make for quite a bookend: the filmmaker who helped establish Jason’s screen identity returning to the character that launched his directing career. Whether the film turns out to be a triumph or a disappointment, there’s something fitting about that possibility. And Miner isn’t coming back just to repeat what he did in 1981 and 1982. Producer Robbie Barsamian has said that Miner was looking forward rather than backward, pitching a way to relaunch an iconic ’80s franchise for decades to come. That’s an ambitious goal.
There’s another former Friday the 13th director worth mentioning here: Tom McLoughlin, whose Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI happens to be the movie that got me into the horror genre in the first place. McLoughlin has been particularly vocal over the years about wanting to return to the franchise, letting fans know that he has even completed a screenplay called Jason Never Dies, which places Jason in a snowy setting and features an entirely female cast of potential victims. McLoughlin had been thinking about making another Friday the 13th movie for years, and his proposed story was designed to offer something fresh while retaining the straightforward appeal of the series. Unfortunately, the project jas never made it to the screen. It’s interesting that, after all the years of McLoughlin expressing his interest in returning, it’s Steve Miner who has been given the opportunity. I’m certainly not complaining about that choice, but as someone whose love of horror began with Jason Lives, I can’t help wondering what McLoughlin might do with another trip to Camp Crystal Lake. And since Barsamian has made it clear that this new movie is intended to be the first of many, perhaps he should consider giving McLoughlin a call when it’s time to put the next installment together. The man has already demonstrated what he can do with Jason, and he clearly hasn’t run out of ideas for the character. If Horror, Inc. wants to bring some of the filmmakers who helped build this franchise back into the fold, McLoughlin seems like an obvious person to approach.
Jason Universe hasn’t completely won me over
Horror, Inc. launched the Jason Universe in 2024, promising to expand the franchise through movies, television, games, merchandise, and other fan experiences. Unfortunately, the early steps in this expansion haven’t all inspired confidence. One of the most noticeable points of contention has been the redesigned hockey mask introduced as part of the initiative. The new design, which features 13 holes rather than the classic look’s 31 holes, was intended to give the character a fresh look, which was always going to be a risky decision. Few fans have been impressed by it. In my view, the shape, proportions, and overall appearance didn’t capture the distinctive look of the mask that has been frightening audiences since 1982.
Mike P. Nelson’s Sweet Revenge, the short film released for the franchise’s 45th anniversary, offered another early glimpse at the direction of the Jason Universe. Nelson deserves credit for giving fans a new on-screen Jason appearance after such a long absence (it came 16 years after the last movie), but the short also introduced ideas that didn’t work for me. Its resurrection of a new character, in particular, raised questions about the mythology that I don’t think a Friday the 13th story needs to ask. Thankfully, the Peacock prequel series Crystal Lake did not go with Sweet Revenge‘s “cursed lake” idea, which would have made no sense for the franchise. Here’s hoping that the new movie doesn’t go back to that idea.
We shouldn’t be making assumptions about the quality of the upcoming feature based on the mask or Sweet Revenge just yet. A short film is an opportunity to experiment, and a character design can be revised. Still, these projects offered an early indication of the creative direction of the new franchise leadership, and they didn’t get things off to a great start.
That’s why Robbie Barsamian’s comments in his interview with TheWrap caught my attention. He says the new movie will feature a redesigned hockey mask developed with fan feedback, one that he believes longtime fans will love. That’s encouraging. It suggests that the people behind Jason Universe are listening to at least some of the concerns surrounding the earlier design. But we’ll have to see the mask in the movie before deciding whether they’ve got it right this time. The mask isn’t just a prop. Getting it right matters. Steve Miner had a hell of a time figuring out Michael Myers’ mask in Halloween H20. We don’t need a repeat of that issue on the new Friday the 13th movie.
What is this connective tissue?
Another interesting part of Barsamian’s interview is his confirmation that the new movie is intended to launch a series of films with “connective tissue” carrying from one installment into the next. He describes this project as the foundation for where the theatrical franchise goes from here. The question is, what is this connective tissue? One of the franchise’s strengths has always been its simplicity. A group of people find themselves at or near Crystal Lake. Jason shows up. People die. The survivors try to get away. That’s the basic formula, and it has provided plenty of room for different filmmakers to put their own stamp on the material. The movies have had continuity, recurring characters, and references to earlier events, but they have also been able to function as individual slasher stories.
I hope the promise of connective tissue doesn’t turn into reason to construct a complicated mythology around a character whose appeal is largely based on his simplicity. Jason doesn’t need a sprawling backstory or an elaborate master plan. He needs to be in the woods with a sharp weapon and a collection of victims who make questionable decisions. His stories don’t need to be bogged down with any Sweet Revenge “cursed lake” nonsense.
In that respect, the division between Crystal Lake and the new theatrical movie sounds promising. The A24 prequel series on Peacock has the opportunity to explore the history of the camp, Pamela Voorhees, and Jason’s childhood in ways that a theatrical slasher movie doesn’t usually have time for. Barsamian says the film will focus on giving fans what they love most about the original movies: Jason himself, “without overly explaining the mythology.” That’s exactly the right instinct. Let Crystal Lake explore the lore. Let the movies deliver Jason.
Practical effects, creative kills, and a return to the basics
Barsamian has been making some big promises about the new movie. In his conversation with TheWrap, he called it the scariest and most brutal film the franchise has made, and said its kills would be the most creative, bloody, and visceral the series has delivered. He also emphasized practical effects, scares, and the classic slasher energy that made the original movies popular. Those are all things I want to hear. The promise of a practically shot horror movie is welcome, and it’s encouraging to see the producers emphasizing the physical effects work that has always been such an important part of the Friday the 13th experience.
The characters matter, too. Barsamian says the new film will feature relatable and dynamic characters whom audiences will actually want to survive. Of course, not all of them will.
And Jason needs to be Jason. The hockey mask, the machete (and other bladed weapons), the physical presence, and the way he moves through a scene are all part of what makes him recognizable. Many found the presentation of the character in Sweet Revenge to be underwhelming, so this movie needs to step it up – and here’s where it’s especially beneficial to have Steve Miner behind the camera, because he knew how to make the character scary and intimidating. Barsamian says that Jason “feels more badass than ever” in this movie, which is a bold claim but also exactly what they should be aiming for.
Returning to the franchise’s independent roots
It is very interesting to see how deeply involved the Barsamian family is with the new movie. As Robbie explained to TheWrap, his grandfather and two of his grandfather’s friends owned movie theatres and helped finance and produce the original Friday the 13th and several of the films that followed. The family has been involved with the franchise for three generations. That history gives the new production a connection to the series that goes beyond acquiring a recognizable property and looking for a way to monetize it. The Barsamians have chosen to finance and produce the new film independently through Horror, Inc., with CatchLight Studios as a production partner and Cineverse handling North American distribution.
Independent financing could give the filmmakers a degree of creative freedom that would be harder to secure within a larger studio system. Barsamian says the family has put its own money behind the project because it believes in the vision. That’s a meaningful commitment, particularly for a franchise that began as an independently produced horror film. It doesn’t guarantee that the creative decisions will be the right ones, of course. Having control over a property is only an advantage if that control is used wisely. But there’s something fitting about the family that helped bring the original film into existence taking the lead on Jason’s return to theatres.
It also gives the film a shot at a better return on investment, since it was made on a tight budget. Friday the 13th movies should have tight budgets. Having too many executives involved is part of the reason why the 2009 Friday the 13th had a budget of $19 million, a ridiculous price tag for this sort of movie.
Barsamian also understands that the fans have been waiting a long time for this. He describes them as loyal, passionate, and patient. It’s been 17 years since the last theatrical Friday the 13th movie. Fans have had to make do with games, merchandise, a short film, and now a television prequel. The excitement surrounding this announcement is understandable, but it also means expectations are going to be high.
Jason deserves a great Friday the 13th movie
The new Friday the 13th has a lot going for it. Steve Miner is returning to the franchise he helped define. The Barsamian family has a meaningful history with the property and is putting its own money behind the production. Cineverse has experience distributing horror movies, having had great success with the Terrifier sequels, and the producers are promising practical effects, memorable kills, and a theatrical experience built around Jason Voorhees.
Those are reasons to be optimistic. But the early Jason Universe experiments have also shown that getting the character right isn’t as simple as putting him back in a hockey mask and handing him a machete. The new mask needs to work. The mythology needs to be handled carefully. And the desire to build a connected movie universe shouldn’t get in the way of what made these films fun in the first place. I don’t need the 13th Friday the 13th movie to reinvent the franchise. I don’t need it to explain every mystery or set up a dozen future installments. I don’t need it to be the bloodiest horror movie ever made, either. I want a simple story, a good group of characters, an atmospheric setting, creative practical effects, a genuinely frightening Jason, and a series of kills that make me appreciate the work that went into bringing them to life.
Most of all, I want to walk out of the theatre feeling that Jason Voorhees is back where he belongs. Steve Miner helped put him there in the first place. Now he has the opportunity to bring him back. That’s a fitting way to bring this story full circle. Let’s hope the movie is worthy of the occasion.
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