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Friday the 13th Filmmaker Reveals Brilliant, Bloodless Kill Cut from 2009 Reimagining
Sometimes, Jason gets lazy and allows nature to take its course.
Sometimes, Jason Voorhees gets lazy. Sometimes, he refrains from swinging his iconic machete and allows nature to run its course.
At least that's what co-screenwriters Mark Swift and Damian Shannon wanted to happen in the 2009 of Friday the 13th (airing on SYFY today and tomorrow). In a since-archived interview with ShockTillYouDrop, the cinematic scribes dished on a preferred slasher kill that never made it into the film for budgetary reasons. The craziest part? It was completely bloodless!
Cut kill from 2009's Friday the 13th was surprisingly bloodless
"Whenever you write a movie, it's always your most favorite part that gets cut out," Shannon said of an axed sequence in which a young woman drowns after spotting the hockey mask-wearing killer on the shore. "Our original intent was for her to be stuck there, wading for hours and hours, time passes, finally she just drowns. We never saw anything like that, but they went with something a little more visceral."
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This is most likely a reference to the moment when Chelsea (Willa Ford) is abruptly stabbed in the head with Jason's machete as she hides under the dock. As Shannon mentioned, the drowning idea was meant to give slasher fans something new.
"There have been so many movies and so many kills," Swift added. "You've got to do your homework because there's going to be a fan that grabs you and says, 'You ripped this off.' Or, 'It's too much like this one!' You've got to be careful."
What's next for the Friday the 13th franchise?
Glad you asked! Jason Voorhees will soon rise from the murky depths of Crystal Lake in an upcoming Peacock television series from A24 and Hannibal alumnus, Bryan Fuller. Announced last fall, the project, aptly-titled Crystal Lake, will serve as a prequel to the films, and is free to use any piece of established canon it wishes. It will also feature a recurring performance from Adrienne King, who played Final Girl Alice in the original movie.
“Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises in movie history and we were dying to revisit this story with our upcoming drama series Crystal Lake,” Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement at the time. “We can’t wait to get to work with Bryan Fuller, a gifted, visionary creator who I’ve had the pleasure of being a longtime friend and collaborator, along with our incredible partners at A24, in this updated version for Peacock that will thrill long-standing fans of the franchise.”
RELATED: Bryan Fuller says ‘Crystal Lake’ series can use ‘everything’ from 'Friday the 13th' franchise
“I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since," added Fuller, who is set to occupy the roles of showrunner, writer, and executive producer. "When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be working with her again."
Friday the 13th (2009) airs on SYFY tonight at 11 p.m. ET and tomorrow night at 10 p.m. ET. Click here for more scheduling info!
Craving more slasher carnage? Head over to Peacock for Black Christmas, Prom Night, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Rob Zombie's Halloween, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, They/Them, SICK, and more.
