New Line Cinema

Lore & Background

New Line Cinema's involvement in the *Friday the 13th* franchise began when Toby Emmerich approached Platinum Dunes producers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form about remaking the series. The producers spent over a year obtaining the film rights from Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Crystal Lake Entertainment—the latter run by *Friday the 13th* creator Sean S. Cunningham. Under the agreement, Paramount executives gave Platinum Dunes a license to use anything from the original films, including the title. New Line retained U.S. distribution rights while Paramount received international distribution rights. The producers decided early on that the film would not be a period piece like previous Platinum Dunes horror remakes, setting the story in the 2000s instead. They also chose not to make it an origin story, though they wanted to work out a logical origin for Jason that would provide a sense of history as the film progressed, including showing how he attains his famous hockey mask.

In Their Own Story

New Line Cinema's Toby Emmerich saw potential in rebooting the *Friday the 13th* franchise and reached out to Platinum Dunes, the production company that had successfully revived *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre*. The resulting collaboration brought together multiple rights holders—Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Crystal Lake Entertainment—in a complex negotiation that took over a year to resolve. The producers, Fuller and Form, stated they did not want to make *Friday the 13th Part 11* or *12*, but instead wanted to rework the mythology. They took inspiration from elements of the first four films, including plot points and specific character kills, using them with Paramount's approval. The film was directed by Marcus Nispel from a screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the writers of *Freddy vs. Jason* (2003).

Reader's Guide

New Line Cinema's role in the 2009 *Friday the 13th* was as a production company and U.S. distributor. The film was produced by New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes, and Crystal Lake Entertainment. Toby Emmerich of New Line initiated the project by approaching Platinum Dunes. The producers spent over a year securing rights from all three entities—Paramount, New Line, and Crystal Lake Entertainment. Under the final agreement, Paramount licensed the use of elements from the original films, including the title, while New Line retained U.S. distribution rights and Paramount handled international distribution. The film was released theatrically in the United States on February 13, 2009, and grossed $92.7 million at the box office on a $19 million budget, becoming the second-highest-grossing film in the franchise after *Freddy vs. Jason* (2003).

Did You Know?

• New Line Cinema's Toby Emmerich approached Platinum Dunes about remaking *Friday the 13th* after their success with *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre*.
• The rights acquisition took over a year, involving negotiations with Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Crystal Lake Entertainment.
• New Line retained U.S. distribution rights while Paramount handled international distribution for the 2009 film.
• The producers decided not to make the film a period piece, unlike previous Platinum Dunes horror remakes, setting it in the 2000s.
• The film's writers, Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, had previously written *Freddy vs. Jason* (2003).