Recent Friday the 13th scribe talks capturing the spirit of the 80s

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Last week, we read some melancholy words from David Bruckner, who was at one point set to helm Paramount’s FRIDAY THE 13th reboot. The director spoke a good game, talking up the film’s DAZED AND CONFUSED-esque elements and nostalgic vibe, and while that’s rather interesting it seems to be a little too late to go on wondering what might have been…

Oh, but it’s too tempting to let go of. Bruckner’s partner in crime on F13 was Nick Antosca, writer of several Hannibal episodes (he also co-wrote the woeful THE FOREST), and Antosca was also recently in the mood to reminisce about their dead and buried version. Antosca appeared on the Necronomicast (via Bloody Disgusting) and spoke a little about what he and Bruckner had in mind.

[Paramount and Platinum Dunes] had a found-footage draft, and then I came in and did a page one rewrite [to] rethink, to some degree, making it not found-footage… I worked really closely with [Bruckner]. His idea from the first meeting was he wanted [Friday the 13th] to really have likable, real characters, and to be set in the 80’s.”

And that’s what we did. That was the plan and we had a great time. [It was] an incredibly fun and rewarding creative experience,” he continued. “Awhile later I heard they decided not to do it in the 80’s. I’m bummed they didn’t do the draft [but] I’m more bummed that David is not on the project [anymore].”

Antosca added that the spirit of the original FRIDAY THE 13th films was very much alive when he sat down to work on the new chapter.

When I was working on Friday, I went back and watched the Paramount ones, multiple times, because that was the spirit we wanted – starting with the 80’s Paramount logo and all that.”

Goddamn. Well, sadly, that’s all behind us now. Aaron Guzikowski (PRISONERS) is currently writing FRIDAY THE 13th, so let’s see how long it is before he’s reminiscing about what his version would have looked like.