The entertainment site IGN has confirmed today that Jason Voorhees isn’t dead. It reports that Horror, Inc. is behind the launch of Jason Universe a Friday the 13th-based outlet that will, “span a wide range of platforms from entertainment, games, immersive experiences, merchandise and more…” with more announcements to be made about the project coming this year.

Robert Barsamian, President of Horror, Inc., said in a statement to IGN, “For decades, Jason shocked and thrilled audiences who kept coming back for more. We’re excited to work with Victor Miller and Marc Toberoff on new projects we’ll announce in the coming months.”

For those following the Friday the 13th rights courtroom drama, Miller wrote the first film and was granted full control over those rights, but director Sean S. Cunningham owns Jason as an intellectual property (read hockey mask) since, plot twist, he wasn’t the killer in the original. Notably, Miller is not a part of Horror, Inc. Also, curiously a hockey mask is used as a part of the Horror, Inc. logo.

Robert Barsamian has a history with the franchise, having funded the first film and a few of its sequels. He is also an executive producer of Crystal Lake in production at Peacock for A24 and funded the making of Friday the 13th: The Game.

Bryan Fuller was a part of the team for the Peacock spin-off but left the project because, as he posted on Instagram, “A24 has elected to go a different way with the material.” his ambiguous statement had some fans wondering if Crystal Lake would shirk its simple slasher rep to become a more “elevated” experience.

However, Barsamian says it can be both, “We’re focused on honoring the legacy while elevating the fan experience and appealing to today’s horror audiences as we develop new ways to watch, interact and engage with the Jason Universe.”

Sheri Conn, Global GM of Horror, Inc, says Jason has been a pop culture icon for over 40 years thanks to movies and video games, “We can’t wait to introduce new Jason Universe activations to these amazing fans.”

If you want to follow what Horror Inc. has in store for our beloved Jason you can follow them at the official Jason Universe website.

Vampires are a timeless and popular element in horror, and I am digging these images from Sean Cronin’s Bogieville! The film sounds horrific due to its combination of classic horror elements and intriguing character dynamics. The story sounds like it will have great suspense and tension, using a derelict American trailer park as the forefront of isolation and vulnerability. Read more about it by checking out the press release below.

British filmmaker, actor, and “professional movie villain” Sean Cronin’s feature vampire road movie “Bogieville” has completed post-production and is headed to market at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25, 2024) in Cannes, France, with a first look party to be held at the Fantastic Pavilion on May 16th at 4pm.  

The horror film – which was directed by Cronin from a screenplay by Henry P. Gravelle (“The Over Easy Courthouse Café”) was filmed in England, and is produced by Djonny Chen for Silent D Pictures, along with Cronin for Magnificent Films. Cronin as an actor has portrayed villains in dozens of box office hits, as well as having directed several award-winning titles.   

Revolving around a young couple ‘Ham’ and ‘Jody’ on the run who come across the eponymous derelict American trailer park; they are convinced to stay by the sinister caretaker ‘Crawford’, although they soon learn that he is, in fact the guardian of the residents of Bogieville, themselves a pack of blood-thirsty vampires. Indonesian film star Arifin Putra (“The Raid 2”) and newcomer Eloise Lovell Anderson (“Villain”) star, along with Cronin as the lead vampire ‘Madison’, Sarina Taylor (“Solitary”), Poppie Jae Hughes (“Our Kid”), Daniel P. Lewis (“Wuthering Heights”), Andrew Lee Pots (“The Crown”) and Katie Sheridan (“The Royal Nanny”).

Special effects are provided by Tequila Carter, with Steve Askey handling VFX.

Says Cronin, who, in addition to taking the directorial reins, stars in the film as the vampire ‘Madison’, “One of the most bizarre things in directing Bogieville was doing it often in full makeup. Of the forty-day shoot, I think I was in full vampire regalia, with blackout lenses and fangs, for about half of it, which posed a challenge in both vision and speech. The other challenge for the production, and something we worked hard to do, was to faithfully recreate the look and feel of a small rural town in the deep south of the United States, but in Surrey, England, where it was freezing cold and spent most of the shoot pissing down rain. Our production designer, Abbie Cornwell, did an incredible job, however, as did the entire cast and crew, and I’m quite looking forward to unleashing Bogieville onto the world. It’s a wild, scary ride.” 

Says actress Anderson, “The script (for “Bogieville”) immediately drew me in. Although a vampire theme, it’s primarily a character-driven narrative. Working with Sean, our director, for the first time was a fun experience, and his portrayal of the antagonist was nothing short of a consummate embodiment – no spoilers, you’ll have to see for yourself.”

About Magnificent Film & Television LTD

Magnificent Films was founded in 2007 by Sean Cronin to create imaginative, cinematic storytelling second to none. With a team of talented editors, writers, and production staff he has forged forward in building a dynamic film company for the 21st century. With working relationships with some of the best and established people in the industry yet keen to support and promote new talent both in front and behind the camera and from all areas of the community, Magnificent believes passionately that the industry should be accessible to all who have an aptitude and talent for storytelling in the medium of film and television.

The sleeper hit Fall (2022) is getting not one, but two sequels. Written and directed by Scott Mann, Fall was slow out of the gate thanks to a crunchy CGI trailer, but thanks to the performances, writing and outstanding direction, it found its footing to pull in seven times its original $3 million budget. That cashfall was mostly thanks to word of mouth and VOD.

The Spierig Brothers, Michael and Peter, are taking over the reins for Fall 2, with Mann returning to the director’s chair for its sequel Fall 3.

The Spierig Brothers delved into horror movies starting with Undead in 2003, and after that the apocalyptic vampire action thriller Daybreakers (2009). Perhaps their biggest break was getting to add to the Saw universe in 2017 with Jigsaw which led them to Winchester (2018) starring Helen Mirren.

Variety got a statement from the directing duo, in which they said, “We’re extremely excited to helm the second installment of this franchise and bring to life another nail biting, vertigo inducing thrill ride.“

Mann said he can’t wait for Flawless (his production company) to work with the brothers on this latest installment. “I am so proud to hand over the reins to the Spierigs, two highly respected genre directors whose addition will undoubtedly make this follow-up even more of a must-see experience than we already knew it would be.”

Fall 2 is written by Mann and his co-writer of the first film, Jonathan Frank. No plot details are being released at this time, however, movie site JoBlo has said some characters from the first film will return for the sequel.

So what do you think? Will lightning strike twice for Fall 2 and Fall 3 or was the first one enough for you? Let us know.