Steve Miner returns to direct Jason Voorhees' 13th feature
Horror, Inc. announced Friday that Jason Voorhees will return to theaters in 2027 in a Friday the 13th film directed by Steve Miner, the filmmaker who first gave him a hockey mask.
The news arrived on the final Friday the 13th of 2026. The movie will be Jason’s 13th feature and the first franchise film in nearly two decades, following the 2009 Warner Bros. reboot.
Jason got his machete in Miner’s Friday the 13th Part II, followed by the mask in Part III.
“When I put the hockey mask on Jason for Friday the 13th Part III, I knew it would create a truly scary image that would work for that movie. I had no idea that it would live on as one of the most iconic symbols in horror films,” Miner said.
“I’m thrilled to come back and continue the legacy,” he said.
The Barsamian family, which leads Horror, Inc., is independently financing and producing the movie, an approach the company called a return to the franchise’s independent roots.
“Reuniting with Steve under a fully independent model allows us the creative control to honor what makes Jason the greatest slasher of all time and deliver the definitive theatrical event that today’s audiences expect,” said Robbie Barsamian, executive vice president of Horror, Inc.
“For generations of fans, Jason’s identity is inseparable from the creative choices Steve Miner brought to the screen,” Barsamian said.
David Fliegel wrote the script, and the announcement described him as an emerging screenwriter. CatchLight Studios is the production partner. Its recent films include A24’s Heretic, starring Hugh Grant, and Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie.
CatchLight co-founders Jeanette Volturno and Jessica Malanaphy were Blumhouse’s first hires. Volturno said CatchLight was eager to collaborate with Miner and Barsamian to “create a practically-shot film that is relentless, cinematic and terrifying.”
Cineverse holds North America distribution rights, including theatrical. The company distributed Terrifier 3, which it called a breakout box office success. Cineverse chairman and CEO Chris McGurk said the company was “honored to be a part of bringing Jason back to theaters where he belongs.”
The original Friday the 13th opened in theaters May 9, 1980, with Sean S. Cunningham directing a script by Victor Miller. Another 11 films followed. The original was independently made for roughly $550,000 before Paramount acquired it in a bidding war.
Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees, was the killer in that first film, while later entries made him the central killer.
Horror, Inc. describes Friday the 13th as a billion-dollar franchise spanning more than 45 years. Deadline estimated that the films had earned almost $450 million worldwide; Screen Rant’s figure exceeded $468 million.
Horror, Inc. launched the Jason Universe in 2024 to expand the franchise. Its tie-ins include Call of Duty, Fortnite and Dead by Daylight, along with attractions at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights and Six Flags.
The new movie follows Crystal Lake, an A24 prequel series starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and Callum Vinson as a young Jason. Peacock released the eight-episode series on Oct. 15. Nielsen said viewers watched 1.3 billion minutes of the series over its first 11 days, making it Peacock’s fourth-best scripted original debut.
The film’s official title, cast and precise release date remain unannounced. Any connection between the film and Crystal Lake remains unclear.
