New 'Friday the 13th' Film Set for 2027, Directed by Steve Miner

He's back: the man behind the mask. For the first time in almost two decades, Jason Voorhees has risen from the muck of Crystal Lake and is ready to go on another killing spree. Friday the 13th is coming back to theaters with an all-new movie, and it's bringing one of the franchise's earliest creators with it.

The franchise, which revolves around lumbering, camp-counselor-massacring maniac Jason Voorhees, last hit theaters in 2009 in a Michael Bay-produced reboot of the franchise. Although it was a box office success, and was well-received by fans of the franchise, the franchise has subsequently become entangled in a legal morass, owing to a dispute between the creators of the original 1980 film that started it all. However, there is now an accord between the various rights-holders of the franchise, which led to the Mike P. Nelson short film Sweet Revenge and the Peacock prequel series Crystal Lake, which starred Linda Cardellini as Jason's murderous mother, Pamela Voorhees.

And now, Deadline reports that Jason is slashing his way back into theaters in a new movie that's expected to hit screens next year. An old franchise hand will be taking the helm: Steve Miner, a long-time collaborator with original Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham. He had several behind-the-scenes roles on the first film before directing Friday the 13th Part II (which introduced Jason as the franchise's star) and Part III (which gave Jason his iconic hockey mask). He's no stranger to resurrecting horror franchises, either, as he helmed 1998's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, a back-to-basics slasher that brought original star Jamie Lee Curtis back into the fold. Counting the 2003 crossover monster mash Freddy vs. Jason, it will be the lucky 13th entry in the long-running series.

Who's Behind the New 'Friday the 13th'?

The film will be financed and produced by Horror Inc., the company that now controls the franchise's rights, as part of the "Jason Universe." Screenwriter David Fliegel will pen the script. CatchLight Studios, which has produced horror films like Heretic and Umma, will partner with Horror Inc. to make the film, which Cineverse, which has distributed the Terrifier films, will handle distribution in North America.