Friday the 13th fans have been confused as to the franchise’s new era – so here’s the Jason Universe explained. The franchise’s new brand label was announced following a number of legal issues that kept the series from getting any new movies or video games off the ground. This changed when Victor Miller and Horror, Inc. officially came together to help steer the Friday the 13th brand’s future. Unfortunately things have been more complicated than getting similar franchises like Halloween back in the spotlight.
Of course, fans have struggled to understand what exactly that future is. Aside from a soft announcement, there are no actual plans for a new movie, and the only other new project we know about is Crystal Lake. For those unaware, Crystal Lake is a new television series produced by A24 for a release on Peacock. Fortunately, the Jason Universe label is also involved, which should grant Crystal Lake the use of any elements from the franchise. Though its purpose is mostly to act as a prequel to the original 1980 film, so how much of it resembles the later films with an adult Jason Voorhees remains to be seen.
The initial press release from IGN confirmed that Victor Miller and Marc Toberoff came to terms with Horror, Inc. president Robert Barsamian to run the Jason Universe label. This brought together both sides that previously fought over the legal rights to the franchise’s first installment. Now that there were no more legal fights in the way, they were able to put their pieces together to rebuild the Friday the 13th franchise. Though that leaves a few major questions left to be answered.
Jason Universe Explained – Why Isn’t the Friday the 13th Name Used?
Fans may be wondering why the Friday the 13th name is no longer being used for these new projects and any new merchandise. Interestingly, New Line Cinema – owned by Warner Bros. – still has the trademarks to the Friday the 13th title for films and merchandise. For legal reasons, then, it makes sense that Jason Universe would be the new title as a way to protect Victor Miller, Marc Toberoff, and Horror, Inc. from any future legal debacles. And, if they ever make a deal with New Line Cinema for a future collaboration, they would once again be able to use the Friday the 13th name.
Jason Universe Explained – What Will Be the Future for the Franchise?
In the meantime, however, they seem to be exercising their rights to the original film’s screenplay and the rest of the franchise’s characters to tread new ground and make new deals. Universal’s streaming service Peacock will be the new home for Crystal Lake, while A24 is producing the series. On the movie front, there have been rumors that Blumhouse is tied to a potential new feature film. Ultimately, it shows that the Jason Universe brand is hopeful to bring plenty of new blood into the franchise’s fore.
Jason Universe Explained – Summarized
To summarize having the Jason Universe explained, the Jason Universe is the culmination of Victor Miller who owns the rights to the original 1980 screenplay and his lawyer Marc Toberoff alongside Horror, Inc. who own everything else. The lack of the Friday the 13th title is due to New Line Cinema’s ownership of the trademark. Outside of that, they’re making deals with numerous new parties to keep the franchise moving forward into the future. And, if the opportunity arises, we may once again see the Friday the 13th title return with a new feature film.
In the meantime, we will be getting Crystal Lake, which looks like a promising start to the franchise’s new era not unlike Sleepaway Camp. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the Friday the 13th franchise, the Jason Universe label, and the production of Crystal Lake as we have them.
