Quentin Tarantino’s Friday The 13th was just too good to be true

Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Leatherface, Michael Myers – every horror fan has their favourite slasher with Jason Voorhees often appearing at the top of the list.

The franchise was born with Sean S Cunningham’s Friday The 13th in 1980, helping to popularise the slasher genre that truly took off with John Carpenter’s Halloween.

Since then the character has appeared in 11 other movies, the last one being the 2009 Friday The 13th remake helmed by Marcus Nispel.

As we look back at that movie on the real Friday the 13th (2022), we’re reminded there hasn’t been an entry in the franchise for 13 years. Taking that into consideration, it really would’ve been great to see the series resurrected for a 13th entry after 13 years… on Friday the 13th no less.

Nevertheless, that just isn’t the world we’re living in.

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There have been murmurs and rumours of a potential instalment over the years but unfortunately it never materialised. However, we’re here to focus our lens on one in particular… what exactly was the deal with Quentin Tarantino’s Friday The 13th?

The acclaimed filmmaker behind modern classics Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill has long been vocal about his passion for horror cinema. Yet, he’s never actually taken to the director’s chair and helmed a horror picture himself. Fans of Friday The 13th have argued about what Tarantino’s take on Jason might look like for years.

However, we’re here to shatter some dreams; he was never actually planning to direct a Friday The 13th movie. It’s the unicorn of horror cinema, so to speak.

Far Out Magazine highlights IGN reported rumours of Tarantino working on a franchise entry in 2005 and a number of other news outlets essentially jumped on the wagon.

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IGN wrote: “None other than Oscar-winner Quentin Tarantino is in final negotiations to write and direct the Ultimate Jason Voorhees Movie, an all-new Friday The 13th for New Line.”

However, Tarantino dispelled all notions in March 2005 during a chat with Contact Music:

“What’s happening with Friday The 13th? Nothing at all. I like Jason and everything but I’ve no intention of directing a movie. New Line talked to me about it but it was a complete fabrication. I would love to do a horror film. I’m just saying it’s not going to be Friday The 13th.“

So, while Tarantino has said he was never in final negotiations to tackle the project, you’ll still occasionally hear somebody asking, whatever happened to Tarantino taking it on?

There are still hopes a Friday The 13th movie will finally reach viewers but there’s no way we’ll see the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director showcasing his unique approach at the helm.

After Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Tarantino confirmed he would only direct one more movie. It’s uncertain what that project will be but, needless to say, it’s not as though he’s going to suddenly change his mind and go out on a campground slasher.

We can dream though… we can dream.

Chris Weston

Christopher Weston is an Entertainment Writer at HITC and GRV Media who specialises in both film and television, writing about everything from blockbuster cinema to independent filmmaking and TV. He graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Film Studies & Journalism in 2018 and has six years of experience in the industry, having written for local and global sites including Taste Of Cinema. He previously studied Film at A-level which helped ignite a passion for the arts. If you start talking about cult cinema, say goodbye to the remainder of your evening - you’ll be here for a while.