With the amount of new “Friday the 13th“-themed film, TV and gaming content coming out this year and a wave of new Jason Voorhees merch popping up, a casual horror fan would be forgiven for thinking a big anniversary is afoot. However, the Jason Universe actually celebrated its 45th birthday last year.
Now, IP owner Horror, Inc. is just continuing a strategy that was successfully set in motion a few years ago to bring Jason back into the zeitgeist with short film “Sweet Revenge” (which was shortlisted at Cannes), the upcoming Peacock TV series “Camp Crystal Lake” (which debuts in October with Linda Cardellini starring as Pamela Voorhees), the launch of an in-game crossover with Behaviour Interactive’s “Dead by Daylight” last month, and a slew of brand deals set at this year’s Licensing Expo.
“Starting with our 45th anniversary celebration in 2025, our approach to bringing new film, TV, gaming, immersive experiences and merchandise to life has been intentionally planned,” Horror, Inc. executive vice president Robbie Barsamian told Variety. “We’re giving long-time fans what they’ve been asking for while at the same time inviting new fans into the franchise in a variety of ways. We want to make sure Jason remains the icon that he is for the next 45 years.”
