Have you ever wondered who really still owns the Friday the 13th movie rights? It seems you are not alone. I also needed to figure this out for myself, once and for all.
In fact, his article started because of something I overheard in Spirit Halloween.
A customer was talking to his friend in the mask aisle about how Jason’s rights had reverted to Warner Bros. because they forgot to credit someone in the original film.
Even though that statement is blatantly wrong, it was the most logical thing he said about the Friday the 13th license over the next five minutes.
I wish I was joking. It took everything in me not to turn around and correct him.
But I didn’t, so I followed him instead (purely for research, I swear). What he said next was even worse.
And it’s not just him. Discord, Reddit, YouTube, everywhere, people are blending copyrights, trademarks, and studio licenses into one giant horror trivia smoothie.
Even one of my favorite YouTubers recently claimed that since a Jason mask had a Paramount logo on it, the studio must still own the rights.
Nope. That’s licensing, not ownership.
So I went home, sat down at my Mac, and wrote this article lightning fast, probably in the same manner Sean Cunningham did after someone tossed out Friday the 13th as a title for Manny’s Orphans.
1979–1980 • The Birth of Friday the 13th
Cunningham assumed somebody already owned the name.
But to find out for sure, he created that famous poster of the logo bursting through glass and took out an ad in Variety.
If anyone owned the name, he figured he’d receive a cease and desist at the very least.
He never did, so just like that, the Friday the 13th name (and its cursed licensing history) was born.
From there he hired Victor Miller to write the screenplay. Miller was brought in as an independent contractor; a detail that would come back to haunt them decades later.
The movie was produced under Georgetown Productions Ltd. (the seed of what became Horror Inc.).
1980–1989 • Paramount’s Ten Year Lease
Paramount bought distribution rights, not ownership.
They had so little faith in the film that they only licensed it for one year with an option to renew.
When it became a runaway hit, they locked in a ten year licensing deal and started pumping out sequels.
Each sequel had its own short term extension, typical seven to ten year windows protecting Paramount’s marketing investment (trailers, posters, and merchandising).
Ownership of the IP, however, always reverted back to Cunningham after each term.
So, from roughly 1980–1990, Paramount rented the Friday the 13th franchise.
When their window closed, they could renew or walk away.
1990–1993 • Paramount Bails, New Line Steps In
After Jason Takes Manhattan belly flopped at the box office, Paramount chose not to renew.
The rights reverted to Cunningham, who took Jason to New Line Cinema, home of Freddy Krueger.
Here’s the catch: Even though Cunningham was the one who owned the “Friday the 13th” movie rights, Paramount still held an active trademark on “the series.” To avoid legal landmines, Cunningham and Bob Shaye released Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday in 1993, while skipping the franchise name entirely.
It was a clever loophole that let Jason return to eh big screen again while everyone waited for Paramount’s trademarks to expire.
1999 • The Trademark Returns Home
By the late ’90s, Paramount’s mark lapsed from non use.
Cunningham quickly re-registered Friday the 13th under his new company, Horror Inc.
That’s why Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and later Blu-ray editions could finally use the full title again.
2009 • The Remake & Aftermath
Friday the 13th (2009), produced by Platinum Dunes and distributed by New Line / Warner Bros; earned just under $100 million worldwide.
Strong start, weak legs.
A winter set sequel was drafted, but before it could happen, Warner Bros. started eyeing Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
2013–2018 • The Interstellar Trade
Warner wanted to co finance Interstellar, which belonged to Paramount.
To make it happen, the studios made a swap…
Paramount received a five year license for Friday the 13th and South Park; while Warner got its seat at Nolan’s table.
Paramount planned a reboot, but time ran out.
In 2018, the license reverted to Horror Inc./Warner Bros. just as the Victor Miller lawsuit reached its finale.
2016–2020 • The Lawsuit
In 2016, Victor Miller sent termination notices; a legal way for authors to reclaim their work 35 years after publication if it wasn’t a “work for hire.”
Horror Inc. and the old Manny Company (Cunningham’s early corporate shell) sued to stop him.
However, the court ruled in Miller’s favor: he was not a work for hire writer.
So today:
- Miller owns the 1980 screenplay within the U.S.
- Horror Inc. still owns the “Friday the 13th” movie rights for the sequels, and he owns adult Jason, the hockey mask, and international rights to all the movies.
Any new movie or show that uses elements of the first Friday the 13th, shas to be a joint project and both sides must sign off.
That’s possibly why we’ve had no new film since 2009.
2025 • Camp Crystal Lake Now
- Miller’s side: teamed with A24 and Peacock for the prequel series Crystal Lake.
- Cunningham’s side: launched Jason Universe, games, merch, and the FX short Sweet Revenge featuring Greg Nicotero’s Jason redesign.
Final Thoughts
So next time you’re in Spirit Halloween and hear someone swear that WB “owns Jason,” just smile, grab your hockey mask, and set them straight.
You now know exactly how the machete got buried in red tape.