Horror fans, specifically lovers of Jason Voorhees, have been given a new way to celebrate four decades of the franchise. Fathom Events is heading back to Camp Crystal Lake to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of one of the most influential horror movies of all time, the original Friday the 13th. In October, moviegoers can experience a newly remastered version of the original slasher that started it all. The Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary event will be making its way to movie theaters across the U.S. for a two-night engagement.
Friday the 13th, in its newly restored version, will play on both Sunday, October 4 and Wednesday, October 7. Showings will be at 7 p.m. local time on both dates. In addition to watching the movie on the big screen, attendees will view a special bonus, Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Friday the 13th. It features legendary special-effects and makeup artist Tom Savini (Friday the 13th, Dawn of the Dead) as he details some of the groundbreaking, gory, and great moments of the 1980 slasher classic.
This comes as movie theaters around the country have started to reopen following the closure in March. The box office has started to come to life. Chains such as AMC, Regal and Cinemark have been taking extra safety precautions as they reopen. Though public health officials have warned that going to a movie theater right now can still be dangerous. Fathom says they are in "regular conversations" with theater owners in regards to the situation. It does not appear that drive-ins will be participating in the event.
The original Friday the 13th follows a group of young counselors preparing for the reopening of Camp Crystal Lake, where a boy drowned years earlier. One by one, the counselors are stalked by a mysterious and violent killer. As horror lovers know, it was Jason's mom, Pamela, who was the killer the first time around. Jason Voorhees only appeared briefly at the end, ultimately taking his mom's place in the sequel. The movie was a huge hit and spawned one of the most successful horror franchises in film history.
Unfortunately, it has been more than a decade since we've seen Jason wielding his machete on the big screen. The franchise has been embroiled in a never-ending lawsuit between original director Sean S. Cunningham and writer Victor Miller. Depending on how that all shakes out, the rights could be split up, with Miller taking the Friday the 13th name but not Jason as we know him. It's a complicated situation. As such, no movies have entered development. But we are getting a new fan film Never Hike in the Snow, from the same folks behind the popular Never Hike Alone. So that's something to look forward to.
In addition to the event, a brand new, massive Friday the 13th box set is coming next month from the folks at Scream Factor as well. Tickets for Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary are available now. For a complete list of theater locations, head on over to FathomEvents.com.
