Jason Voorhees is renown for being a relentless, seemingly unkillable force of nature that stalks the poor souls in and around Camp Crystal Lake. But in film, bringing back the masked horror icon has proven more difficult than anyone could imagine. Not for the first time, Paramount has delayed its Friday the 13th revival, with The Wrap reporting that the long-in-development reboot and World War Z 2 have officially been removed from the studio’s slate. Neither film was given a new release date.
Bearing in mind that World War Z 2 was clutching on to June 9th, 2017 without so much as a director at the helm, news that Paramount has postponed its apocalyptic sequel isn’t all that surprising. Last we checked, David Fincher was reportedly in the mix to replace J.A. Bayona at the helm, potentially teeing up a reunion with lead star Brad Pitt, but there’s no development on that front as yet.
For Friday the 13th, it’s a different story. As the first entry into the dormant horror series since 2009, Paramount’s revival was originally angled as an origin story, one designed to shed light on Jason Voorhees as a troubled youngster before he became the ax-wielding maniac we know and fear. A found footage idea was tabled early on in development, but Platinum Dunes producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form soon scrapped plans in order to focus on a more familiar set-up. Sounds promising, right?
Alas, despite flirting with release dates in 2015, 2016, early 2017 and then the most recent, Friday, October 13, 2017, Friday the 13th has been delayed indefinitely. Production has reportedly shut down, indicating that Paramount’s reboot isn’t up to standard, or it simply needs more time in the oven. And considering this is the 13th entry into the legendary series, rushing out a bland, uninspired movie would surely be the last nail in the franchise’s coffin. Jason Voorhees is a character in need of a triumphant return to form, not another forgetful horror experience.
Friday the 13th has officially been placed on ice (again!) over at Paramount for the foreseeable future. Ditto for World War Z 2, though we understand Brad Pitt remains attached to the zombie-infested sequel. Elsewhere on the studio’s slate, Darren Aronosfky’s mother! will now swoop in to occupy the vacant October 13th, 2017 slot. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Pfeiffer, the drama follows “a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.” Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Domhnall Gleeson round out the cast.
