It may be a while before we see Jason Voorhees back on the big screen, but the iconic slasher will be taking over SyFy for a full day on a most appropriate day. The cable network has announced that it will be hosting a 24-hour Friday the 13th marathon this Friday, which just so happens to be the 13th of March. So mark your calendars and clear your schedules, horror fans, as a Jason-filled day of bloodshed is upon us.
Starting at the stroke of midnight, SyFy will begin airing a series of movies from the iconic Friday the 13th horror franchise one after the other. The marathon will include Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part III, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan. Notably absent from the lineup are Jason Goes to Hell, Freddy vs. Jason and 2009’s Friday the 13th remake, as well as 2001’s Jason X, which brought the iconic killer to space.
The marathon is being held in honor of the franchise celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, as the original Friday the 13th first hit theaters in 1980. Starting at 6 p.m., SyFy will be turned into the “Camp Crystal Lake’s Public Access Channel.” This period of the marathon will feature commercials themed around the movies, camp counselor recruitment videos and much more. SyFy’s Whitney Moore, Juan Cadavid and Matt Romano will be hosting this segment of the marathon, breaking down the movies and sharing some of their favorite moments from the history of Friday the 13th.
We haven’t seen Jason Voorhees grace the silver screen since the aforementioned 2009 remake. It’s not for a lack of desire, as horror fans would surely love to see the franchise return. Unfortunately, there is an ongoing rights battle between screenwriter Victor Miller and original director Sean S. Cunningham. The situation is complicated, but it comes down to who owns what. While Miller wrote Friday the 13th, Jason Voorhees as we know him didn’t appear until later, as Jason’s mom was the killer in the first movie. Jason became the killer in Part 2, but didn’t get the iconic hockey mask look until midway through the third entry.
Last we heard, NBA star turned producer LeBron James was looking to possibly get behind a new Friday the 13th movie, but that is contingent upon the rights situation getting worked out. Given how much money is at stake, especially with how much money 2018’s Halloween made, it seems more like a matter of when Jason will return, as opposed to if. In the meantime, we’ve got this marathon to look forward to. Feel free to check out the teaser the network released previewing the event below. For the full schedule, head on over to SyFy.com.
