It's a fantastic day for horror enthusiasts, particularly fans of the slasher genre. Today, one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time celebrates an impressive milestone. Friday the 13th has terrified and thrilled audiences for 45 years! It's the franchise's 45th anniversary, meaning it's been 45 years since the original 1980 movie first introduced us to Camp Crystal Lake and the unforgettable horror legend, Jason Voorhees.
What started as a modest, low-budget slasher quickly exploded into a full-blown pop culture juggernaut, spanning 12 films, inspiring countless Halloween costumes, video games, comic books, merchandise, and giving rise to one of the most iconic figures in horror movie history. There wouldn't be slashers like Scream or even Terrifier without the blood-soaked trail Friday the 13th blazed through the genre. Its legacy shaped the slasher blueprint that filmmakers still follow today, where isolated settings, masked killers, and shocking and brutal kills became genre staples.
If there were a Mount Rushmore of horror icons, Jason Voorhees would undoubtedly be etched into the stone alongside the genre's most legendary figures. With his unmistakable hockey mask, haunting silence, and the blood-soaked legacy he’s left behind, Jason has become the very embodiment of the slasher genre. There's just no debating his place in horror history!
To celebrate this joyous day, we highly recommend revisiting the beloved franchise that started it all. You can currently watch Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part III, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan on Pluto TV for free. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X and Freddy vs. Jason are all available to rent or purchase via digital platforms, while you can watch Friday the 13th (2009) on Tubi for free.
We also have the Friday the 13th prequel series to look forward to. The show is titled Crystal Lake, and it will be released on Peacock. A24 is the studio behind it, and Brad Caleb Kane is the show's creator, showrunner, and executive producer. According to a recent Instagram post from Kane, the creative team is currently in the scriptwriting process. In addition, only one actor has been officially attached to the project so far, Linda Cardellini. She will portray Jason Voorhees' vengeful mother, Pamela Voorhees. That's all that's been revealed about the prequel so far, but we're sure to hear more soon as the project continues to take shape.
Happy 45th anniversary to Friday the 13th, and here's to many more!