Regardless of the obscurity surrounding Friday the 13th's ownership, the Halloween reboot trilogy has already proven that there's no place in horror left for Jason Voorhees. The Halloween franchise was reborn in 2018 under the direction of David Gordon Green and with the cooperation of series alumni like Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle. As a faith following of the 1978 original, 2018's Halloween and its 2021 sequel Halloween Kills have been strong entries into the slasher genre and true to the spirit of the franchise.

Friday the 13th hasn't been so lucky. Jason Voorhees hasn't donned his iconic hockey mask since 2009 when Friday the 13th failed to recapture interest in the franchise by retelling Jason's origins. Since then the property has been locked in a legal battle between Sean S. Cunningham, representing Horror Inc., and Victor Miller, who wrote the original Friday the 13th screenplay. Unfortunately, even with that lawsuit's recent resolution, Hollywood is no longer the place for Jason or a Friday the 13th sequel/reboot. Friday the 13th, a franchise that was born only to siphon success from the first Halloween film, has ironically been made irrelevant by Halloween itself.

Related: Friday the 13th 2009 Out Earned 1980's Original (But Was Less Successful)

The Halloween reboot trilogy has put the final nail in Friday the 13th's coffin by proving that Michael Myers is a more captivating and capable slasher villain than Jason Voorhees could ever be. While Friday tried its hand at its own reboot in 2009, by combining elements from the first three Friday films into one story, the reception to a modern Jason Voorhees was almost laughable in comparison to Halloween's recent success. Friday the 13th already tried to stake a claim in the heart of modern horror. The series failed. Friday the 13th can't just copy Halloween and its successful reboot formula yet again.

Michael Myers in Halloween

In its prime, the Friday the 13th franchise was largely known for its gratuitous violence and exploitative depiction of teenage hormones. But more depth is demanded from the horror genre now. While Jason may have once had a claim to the most creative and intense kills of any slasher icon, Michael Myers has reclaimed that title. Halloween Kills highlighted a cold and swift version of The Shape that effortlessly moved from house to house, painfully dispatching each resident along the way. Fireman's tools, fluorescent light bulbs, and even stairway railings were all involved in Myers' antics. Kills seemed determined to seat Michael Myers atop the ranking of slasher horror movie villains. Resurrecting Friday the 13th just for Jason Voorhees to fall short, and to illustrate how dated the tropes of the series truly are, wouldn't benefit the franchise whatsoever.

At this point, Jason wouldn't even be able to count himself as the sole reanimated slasher villain. Halloween Kills solidified the supernatural elements that the Myers character often flirted with by proving Michael was unkillable in its final act. All of the worthwhile traits that defined Jason Voorhees have been adopted and improved upon in the modern Halloween trilogy. The campground setting has been executed better as well, in other recent horror films like Fear Street 1978 and Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight. For Jason to return now, he'd have to repeat the copycatted slasher formula of the Friday the 13th franchise by retreading elements that are already being superbly executed elsewhere. That may have worked in 1980 but it will not work in 2022.

While Friday the 13th spent the last decade navigating its complicated legal quandaries, its place in horror effectively disappeared. Thankfully the best elements of Jason Voorhees live on in Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and other modern slashers. With Halloween Ends coming this October, Michael Myers will arrive at the conclusion of the Halloween reboot trilogy and likely deliver a finale stronger than any chapter of Friday the 13th.

Next: Halloween Ends Footage Supports Laurie & Michael Death Theories

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