It was a delay that had been in the cards for some time, but today Paramount made it official: David Bruckner’s Friday the 13th reboot has slipped from its original 2016 release date, with the studio rescheduling the horror feature for January 13, 2017 – and yes, that’s a Friday.
That’s not the only horror franchise to be the subject of some reshuffling, however, now that Paramount has also delayed genre sequel Rings into 2016. Once again, this was a tactical move that had cropped up in recent weeks, though this now means F. Javier Gutiérrez’s follow-up will claw its way out of the television set and into theaters on April 1, 2016.
Switching gears to the legendary Jason Voorhees, and it would seem that one of cinema’s most enduring horror icons is beginning to grow impatient. This is, after all, the third time that Paramount has issued a delay on its long-gestating reboot, and moviegoers keen to return to Camp Crystal Lake – or, at least, watch the action from afar – will now have to wait that little while longer.
Having appointed Hannibal scribe Nick Antosca to reintroduce the 30-year old legend, Paramount appears to be hedging its bets before casting the die on its Friday the 13th IP once more. Despite a reasonable box office haul, 2009’s reboot failed to make much of a lasting impression with the core audience, and it’s clear that the studio isn’t planning on simply throwing a new coat of crimson paint over Jason and Co. before releasing the modern retelling. In fact, Brad Fuller of Platinum Dunes – Michael Bay’s production company, which is lending support to the movie – previously hinted that “the new movie could play with established mythology or a different time frame in Jason’s life.” But will it be enough to breathe new life into the dormant property? Time will tell.
Putting the rumors to bed, Paramount has now slated F. Javier Gutiérrez’s horror sequel Rings and Friday the 13th for release on April 1, 2016 and January 13, 2017, respectively.
