While we wait to see what happens with A24 and Peacock’s planned Friday the 13th TV series “Crystal Lake,” currently undergoing a showrunner change, Horror Inc. has announced Jason Universe via an exclusive report from IGN this afternoon, which is said to be the dawning of a “new era from the original owners of the Friday the 13th franchise.”
What does that mean, you ask? IGN details in their surprising report today, “New Friday the 13th activations will span a wide range of platforms from entertainment, games, immersive experiences, merchandise and more to be announced throughout 2024.”
“For decades, Jason shocked and thrilled audiences who kept coming back for more. We’re excited to work with Victor Miller and Marc Toberoff on new projects we’ll announce in the coming months,” said Robert Barsamian, President of Horror, Inc. “We’re focused on honoring the legacy while elevating the fan experience and appealing to today’s horror audiences as we develop new ways to watch, interact and engage with the Jason Universe.”
“With the unique ability to remain at the forefront of pop culture for 44 years, Jason continues to top charts as one of the scariest villains of all time with strong global awareness across multiple generations thanks to billions of TikTok views plus millions and millions of gamers and movie fans,” said Sheri Conn, Global GM of Horror, Inc. “We can’t wait to introduce new Jason Universe activations to these amazing fans.”
Victor Miller is the writer of the original Friday the 13th, who won back the rights to the original horror classic several years back. That film’s director, Sean Cunningham, has been battling Miller over the legal ruling ever since. From what we gather, Miller, Marc Toberoff and Robert Barsamian joining forces for the “Jason Universe” means the team has access to any and all existing elements of the Friday the 13th franchise – same goes for the “Crystal Lake” series, which all three are involved in – but it doesn’t mean they can make any new Friday movies.
Former “Crystal Lake” showrunner Bryan Fuller explained back in 2022, “The movie rights are a completely different thing. They are tied up at New Line and are super, super messy.”
An official website for the “Jason Universe” has been launched this week, where you can sign up to receive updates and the latest news from the new venture. Be sure to get on that ASAP.