What better way to mark today’s sense of occasion than an update on the long-gestating Friday The 13th reboot? Set up by horror remake maestros Platinum Dunes, the pic has seen more than its fair share of rumors, chatter and potential release dates. In a recent interview with Esquire, one of Platinum’s head honchos, Brad Fuller, sat down to set the record straight on the rampant speculation, revealing a few new twists in the process.
Thus far, we know that Fuller and Andrew Form will both produce this update on the Jason Voorhees saga with David Bruckner on board to direct. In terms of its writers, the most recent draft of the script was penned by Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg. However, their involvement may have already come to an end. Fuller told Esquire that the studio’s intentions are to enlist two or three new writers to peg down the storyline before they shoot at the end of this summer.
It turns out that part of the reason for a high writer turnover and the delay to production were a result of the story. Wanting to reboot such a well-loved horror franchise obviously requires more than just another cookie-cutter feature; as Fuller knows all too well. He goes on to suggest that “the new movie could play with established mythology or a different time frame in Jason’s life.” This would absolutely make a world of difference for fans, as the 2009 reboot was enjoyable in places, but rarely wandered into new thematic territory.
With regards to the movie’s biggest potential change, Fuller went on to say:
“There’s always been this supernatural aspect to these movies. It defies logic that, you see Jason get killed in every movie, including ours, the 2009 one. And then he comes back and no one’s ever really investigated what that is. So that’s something that I think about a little bit. Like it is supernatural, but what is he? Those are the things that we’re toying with. Nothing has been decided. But those type of things: How does he always come back?
People traditionally want to understand exactly how and why things happen, and yet something so odd happens at the end of these movies and no one seems to question it. So people come to the movie with the expectation that the real villain will be killed and come back. And yet we never toyed with that notion….Those are the things that we’re asking ourselves. And we’ll see what comes of it.”
The issue of Jason’s immortality is seemingly one that is brushed under the carpet for sake of the series’ continuance. It’d be an interesting swing into the potential supernatural aspects of his being if that were explored even remotely! Or, do you prefer to suspend your disbelief when seeing a man stabbed, shot, beheaded and set on fire return to life? Sound off below!
Friday The 13th opens on May 13, 2016.