Friday the 13th (franchise)

Friday the 13th
Official franchise logo
Created by	Victor Miller
Original work	Friday the 13th
Owner	Paramount Pictures (original distribution, co-distribution since 2013) Warner Bros. Pictures (distribution since 1993 and owner of the Friday the 13th and Jason Voorhees trademarks via New Line) Victor Miller (current owner of the first movie) Horror Inc. (current owner of the franchise)
Years	1980–present
Print publications
Book(s)	List of books
Novel(s)	List of novels
Comics	List of comics
Films and television
Film(s)	List of films
Television series	Friday the 13th: The Series
Games
Video game(s)	List of video games
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	List of music
Miscellaneous
Character(s)	List of characters

Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films, a television series, novels, comic books, video games, and tie‑in merchandise. The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who was thought to have drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff. Decades later, the lake is rumored to be "cursed" and is the setting for a series of mass murders. Jason is featured in all of the films, as either the killer or the motivation for the killings. The original film was written by Victor Miller and was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. The films have grossed over $468 million at the box-office worldwide.

Frank Mancuso, Jr., a producer of the films, also developed the television show Friday the 13th: The Series after Paramount released Jason Lives. The television series was not connected to the franchise by any character or setting, but was created based on the idea of "bad luck and curses", which the film series symbolized.^[1] While the franchise was owned by Paramount, four films were adapted into novels, with Friday the 13th Part III adapted by two separate authors. When the franchise was sold to New Line Cinema, Cunningham returned as a producer to oversee two additional films, in addition to a crossover film with character Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Under New Line Cinema, thirteen novellas and various comic book series featuring Jason were published.

Although the films were not popular with critics, Friday the 13th is considered one of the most successful media franchises in America—not only for the success of the films, but also because of the extensive merchandising and repeated references to the series in popular culture.^[2] The franchise's popularity has generated a fanbase who have created their own Friday the 13th films, fashioned replica Jason Voorhees costumes, and tattooed their bodies with Friday the 13th artwork. Jason's hockey mask has become one of the most recognizable images in horror and popular culture.^[3]