EDITOR UPDATE: More information about the lawsuit has become available. Larry Zerner has stated on Twitter: “The lawsuit ONLY concerns profits of the 2009 F13 Reboot. None of the other films are part of the suit.”
Friday the 13th producer Sean Cunningham has filed another lawsuit related to the series, this time against Warner Bros. and Paramount. It’s been a stressful few years for Friday the 13th fans, to say the least. After the franchise was revitalized by the success of the popular video game adaptation, horror fans were more ready than ever for Jason Voorhees to return to theaters with a new movie, but that didn’t quite happen.
As most of us know, Cunningham – who produced and directed the original film – has been embroiled in a legal battle with screenwriter Victor Miller over the rights to Jason and Friday the 13th. Initially, a judge ruled in Miller’s favor, but Cunningham appealed, dragging out the battle for even longer. Until a final decision is made, no more movies will be produced. This should have happened last year, but with the pandemic bringing about delays, it remains unclear when that case will be resolved.
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Now, Jason Voorhees is heading back to court for another case. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Cunningham has filed a new lawsuit against Paramount and Warner Bros. over net profits, purporting that he’s discovered through audits that there have been improper “deductions of fees and bonuses, undervalued licenses, an underreporting of merchandising revenue and pay TV income,” and more. Cunningham also alleges that the defendants “withheld documents would reveal that the Pictures’ distribution was structured to inequitably advance the interest of Defendants and favored third parties.”
Fans just want another movie at this point, but it’s starting to feel like poor Jason is never going to get out of the courtroom. Hopefully, the issue with the rights will at least be sorted out this year so Camp Crystal Lake can open back up as soon as possible. We’ll see what happens.
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Wow this lawsuit has been going since 2016. I really hope this ends in 2022. 2021 would be nice, but I’m not counting on that. I can’t believe we havent seen a friday the 13th movie since 2009. I really hope this gets resolved soon.