At the end of May, Platinum Dunes producer Brad Fuller said that PRISONERS screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski's script for the next FRIDAY THE 13TH film goes back to the roots of iconic, hockey mask-wearing slasher Jason Voorhees's back story, starting over and working forward. When asked if that meant the film would be an origin story, Fuller replied "origin-ish".
Speaking with David Grove for iHorror, Fuller made sure to clarify for fans that they are not telling an origin story, but rather creating an "alternate reality" in regards to Jason's history. He said,
Yes, Pamela and Jason are together in this film, but this is the same Jason we all know and love. He’s Jason; he kills – he kills teenagers. We went down the origin route with the second Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, and I think when you go too deep into a character’s origin, the character stops being scary at some point. I’m not worried about demystifying Jason by revealing parts of his back story, which most of the fans are familiar with."
Fuller went on to reveal that the movie will be a period piece, which seems to have been what they've been going for with this project from the beginning – both abandoned approaches developed by director David Bruckner (who is no longer involved) were set in the '80s.
Guzikowski's script is set between the late '70s and early '80s. As for location and characters, Fuller promised that "There is a summer camp, and there are camp counselors."
There have been rumors that Jason's father Elias may appear in the film, and JoBlo's own Billy Donnelly was told that the inclusion of Elias is "on the table" but no definite decision has been made. Fuller reiterated that to Grove, telling him that "…we haven’t decided whether or not Elias will appear in the film … The main relationship is between Pamela and Jason."
With their other productions wrapped, FRIDAY THE 13TH is now Platinum Dunes' main focus, and Fuller says that the project is on the fast track. The search is on for a new director and he expects it to be filming soon, although not soon enough to make the previously announced January 13, 2017 release date.
All this and I'm still not clear on exactly what they're doing with this film. If Pamela and Jason are together and Jason is already the slasher we know and love, that would indeed be a major alteration to the history. As everyone knows, Jason only started killing after the death of his mother… I badly want to see a new FRIDAY THE 13TH movie, but I'm not enthusiastic about the idea of tinkering with the back story, if that is what they're doing.
Maybe they've found a way for Pamela and Jason to interact in the '70s, and by the '80s portion of the film she'll be dead and that's when Jason will start killing. I don't know.
It's a mysterious and confusing time for FRIDAY THE 13TH fans right now.