Speaking today with ShockTillYouDrop.com, producer Brad Fuller has begun to pull back the curtain of secrecy surrounding the next big screen Friday the 13th sequel, set for a May 13, 2016 release. Although the project was previously rumored to embrace a “found footage” aesthetic, Fuller explains that plans have now changed.
“That was a road that we went down and tried to figure out,” Fuller tells STYD. “Ultimately, I think Michael, Drew and I felt that we couldn’t figure that out, so we kind of jettisoned that whole notion and we had to start over. We’re in the latter phases of that starting over and hopefully we’re getting a script in the next month or two, and we’ll go back to Crystal Lake.”
One of the more popular entries in the slasher genre, the first Friday the 13th was released in 1980 and followed a series of brutal murders of teen counselors at Camp Crystal Lake. The killer was ultimately revealed to be Pamela Voorhees, a mother whose son, Jason, drowned in the lake years earlier due to the negligence of the camp’s staff. As the cinematic series progressed, Jason himself became the franchise’s iconic hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding killer.
The Friday the 13th franchise currently consists of ten original “solo” films, the 2003 crossover Freddy vs. Jason, and, most recently, the 2009 reboot. There was also a short-lived television series that, despite its title, was unconnected to the plot of the film franchise.
Set to be directed by V/H/S helmer David Bruckner, the new Friday the 13th will feature a screenplay by “Hannibal” co-producer Nick Antosca.
“At the end of the day, those movies are so fantastic because Jason Voorhees is such a dynamic presence and people love to see him do what he does well,” Fuller continues. “We hope to put Jason in a situation where he’s able to do that again, and it doesn’t feel like you’re seeing the same thing over and over.”
Michael Bay and Andrew Form are also producing the new film through their Platinum Dunes, which also produced the 2009 film.
Check out the full conversation with Fuller over at ShockTillYouDrop.com.
