‘Friday The 13th’ Producers Confirm Reboot Is ‘Period Piece’ Not ‘Found Footage’

Friday The 13th is considered the definitive slasher film, and plans to revisit Camp Crystal Lake are taking shape, as Bloody Disgusting reports, a reboot of the franchise is set to kick off this summer, with writer Aaron Guzikowski’s (Prisoners) “amazing” script apparently due any day now.

Platinum Dunes producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller were on hand at WonderCon last month promoting the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel, and they cleared up conflicting details about the reboot when asked about the Friday the 13th. The duo confirmed that the film won’t be told through found-footage, as it had previously been reported.

Jason Voorhees has been dead since the 2009 Friday the 13th remake hit theaters, and the writers of that film, Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, had originally penned a sequel that would take place in the winter, with Paramount releasing it under David Bruckner’s direction. Actor Derek Mears was slated to don the infamous hockey-mask once again, and the studio wanted Bruckner’s Friday the 13th to be found-footage, primarily because Paranormal Activity was a box-office smash. Then there was a shake up with the project, and new writers were eventually brought in who envisioned a 1980s-themed ensemble piece.

Rare Behind The Scenes Images Of Friday The 13th Part 3 Theatrical Ending https://t.co/FgGmjebu9A

— Friday The 13th News (@F13thFranchise) April 2, 2016

Last December it was confirmed that Guzikowski would be penning the script for Paramount and Platinum Dunes, and that Bruckner was no longer attached to direct. During WonderCon, Andrew and Brad confirmed that the next installment would have some of it — if not all — be a period piece.

“There is truth that this is period,” Form told TooFab, without saying which period it’d take place in. Fuller quickly added, “And NOT found-footage.”

“We’re so lucky to have Aaron Guzikowski writing, who is a fan of the franchise,” Form added. “He’s come up with an amazing story and we can’t wait to make this one.”

Fuller further teased confirmation of a 2016 production start, telling the TooFab journalist, “I can tell you I believe there will be a set visit for everybody soon,” he said.

The Friday the 13th franchise is comprised of 12 slasher films, a television show, novels, comic books, and tie?in merchandise. The story centers on the fictional killer Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff. Decades later, the lake is rumored to be “cursed” and Voorhees embarks on a brutal killing spree. The original film was written by Victor Miller and was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. The success of John Carpenter’s Halloween, prompted them to make the film, on an estimated budget of $550,000. The original film was released by Paramount Pictures in the U.S. and by Warner Bros. in Europe. The franchise has grossed over $465 million at the box-office worldwide.

Of the 12 films in the series, Sean Cunningham’s involvement was: the original, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X, Freddy vs. Jason, and the 2009 reboot. He is also set to executive produce the CW series adaptation of Friday the 13th. During a 2015 interview, Cunningham explained to Fangoria why he’s supporting the network, despite criticism that the project should be fostered by a prominent cable network, like FX or A&E.

“We went with CW because they are probably the most successful genre distributor in the world because they’re not only strong in this country but around the world with their other titles, in particular, Arrow and The Flash. They know that market and they know the audience. They’re very smart and very psyched about doing the project,” the famed producer explained.

Cunningham was also asked about the next film taking place during winter and shot down rumors of it being a found-footage film.

“They’ve been talking about that, but that’s not going to happen. I think what’s different for sure is Paramount was hung up on trying to do the found footage, which most fans, including me, just thought it wasn’t right,” Cunningham explained. “They weren’t saying yes to anything that didn’t work but they couldn’t find anything that would work. So finally, last February they gave up on it and decided to go in a completely different way and now they’re in the process of once again finding a better way to make it.”

As CinemaBlend notes, the upcoming CW series will take place at the “real” Camp Crystal Lake, and Jason won’t be the only killer. Cunningham based the story’s location on New Jersey’s Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, where the film was shot. The CW series will reportedly chronicle how the movies have affected the town and its citizens. The fansite Fridaythe13thFranchise.com reports that this “real” version will be a “more serious backwoods-inspired killer.”

Friday the 13th is slated to hit theaters January 13, 2017.

[Image courtesy Brendon Thorne/Getty Images]