Paramount announced that they are deciding to back-off on the reboot of the 80's horror slasher film, "Friday the 13th" franchise. The studio had been developing the film for several years which was actually supposed to release in 2015. However, the studio decided to put the machete back to its sheath even though the production is set to start sometime in mid-March.
Paramount Studios announced last Monday, February 6, that they are removing the horror film from its October 13 release date and will be replaced by Darren Aronofsky's "Mother!" starring Jennifer Lawrence. Putting the project on ice shocked many from the film industry but the studio gave no further explanation about the reasons behind the cancellation.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, one factor that can be attributed to the sudden shut down was the poor performance of the studio's other horror reboot "Rings". The film only yielded $13 million for its opening week in contrast with its $21 million budget. The studio is second-guessing whether the Jason reboot will experience the same unfortunate fate.
Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes was the production company behind the film and director Breck Eisner was supposed to helm the 13th installment. The horror movie series had proved to be low-cost but with high-yielding results which enabled the franchise to grow 11 sequels. However, the studio was worried especially with the huge loss they suffered from the other horror reboot.
Paramount originally planned to release the film on March 13, 2015 (Friday the 13th), matching the title of the film as reported by Variety. However, the reboot was pushed back several times pushing for a November 13, 2015 release then to May 13, 2016, January 13, 2017 and finally landing on October 13. On the good side, Paramount has not confirmed the full cancellation of the project stating that the production was not ready for production yet.
It seems that "Friday the 13th" is now experiencing the bad luck brought by the number 13 which previously brought the franchise to its fame. Jason Vorhees and his machete will have to wait further to hunt and kill some people. Fans are expecting that Paramount will revive the project some time in the future.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
