Friday the 13th Returns in 2027 With Steve Miner Directing Jason

By Tom Whitfield

Cineverse will distribute the 13th Friday the 13th film in North America in 2027, with Steve Miner directing and David Fliegel writing. The announcement came on Friday, Nov. 13. The 2027 release will be the horror series’ first scheduled release in almost 20 years.

Jason Voorhees will return for more blood, according to the announcement. Miner helped shape the murderous character in the second and third installments, released in 1981 and 1982. The machete and mask introduced in those early releases became his most iconic identifiers.

Miner said: “When I put the hockey mask on Jason for Friday the 13th Part III, I knew it would create a truly scary image that would work for that movie. I had no idea that it would live on as one of the most iconic symbols in horror films.”

He added: “I’m thrilled to come back and continue the legacy.”

His return provides continuity with Jason’s established design. The announcement offers no cast, plot or production detail to show how that continuity will shape the new film.

The companies behind the return

The most recent film, Friday the 13th, arrived in 2009. Marcus Nispel, director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, directed it. Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures distributed that installment.

The new project is taking what the announcement calls the indie route. Cineverse will distribute the film in North America. Horror, Inc. has partnered with production studio CatchLight Studios.

Robbie Barsamian, Executive Vice President of Horror, Inc., said: “For generations of fans, Jason’s identity is inseparable from the creative choices Steve Miner brought to the screen.”

He added: “Reuniting with Steve under a fully independent model allows us the creative control to honor what makes Jason the greatest slasher of all time and deliver the definitive theatrical event that today’s audiences expect.”

His wording promises both independence and creative control. The announcement does not define the independent model or specify which production and distribution decisions fall within Horror, Inc.’s control.

The announcement in brief

• Scheduled release: 2027, with no precise date given.
• Director: Steve Miner, who helped shape Jason Voorhees in the 1981 and 1982 installments.
• Writer: David Fliegel, identified as a newcomer.
• North American distributor: Cineverse.
• Production partner: Horror, Inc., working with CatchLight Studios.

Cineverse Chairman and CEO Chris McGurk said: “Jason is one of the most recognizable figures in cinema history.”

He added: “We have a proven track record of empowering uncompromising genre filmmaking and connecting it directly with passionate audiences, and are honored to be a part of bringing Jason back to theaters where he belongs.”

His statement rests on Jason’s recognition and Cineverse’s claimed record with genre audiences. The announcement provides no production detail that yet supports the promise of a definitive theatrical event.

What does the independent model change for audiences?

The practical change is a Jason Voorhees film directed by Miner and scheduled for 2027, with Cineverse handling North American distribution. What the announcement has not established is how the indie route will change the filmmaking itself. “Creative control” and a “definitive theatrical event” remain executive promises rather than demonstrated specifics.

Without a cast, plot, budget, production schedule or exact date within 2027, the audience-facing commitment remains limited to the character’s return and the year of release. The test for 2027 is whether Miner, Fliegel and their partners can deliver the theatrical event their executives promise, rather than simply reviving Jason.