Friday the 13th (2009 film)

Infobox Film
name = Friday the 13th


caption = Comic-Con promotional poster
director = Marcus Nispel
producer = Michael Bay
Andrew Form
Brad Fuller
writer = Screenplay:
Damian Shannon
Mark Swift
Characters by:
Victor Miller
Ron Kurz
starring = Derek Mears
Jared Padalecki
Amanda Righetti
music =
cinematography = Daniel Pearl
editing =
distributor = Paramount Pictures
New Line Cinema
released = February 13, 2009
runtime =
country = United States
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by = "Freddy vs. Jason"
followed_by =
website = http://www.fridaythe13thmovie.com/
amg_id = 1:420112
imdb_id = 0758746

"Friday the 13th" is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. The film is a reboot of the "Friday the 13th" film series, whose last film was the 2003 crossover film "Freddy vs. Jason". Nispel helmed the 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", while Shannon and Swift wrote the screenplay for "Freddy vs. Jason". The film stars Derek Mears as Jason Voorhees, with Jared Padalecki and Amanda Righetti portraying the male and female leads, respectively. Set for a Friday, February 13,2009 release, the film will take "elements from all three [of the first] movies".

Production

Development

In January 2007, producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller outlined their intended goal to bring the remake to life. Fuller and Form were approached by New Line to create a remake, but because Paramount still owned certain copyrights to the first film the remake would not be able to use anything from the original. Paramount, who wanted to be included in the remake, approached the producers and gave them license to use anything from the original films, including the title. With Paramount on board, Fuller and Form decided they wanted to use pieces from each of the first three films. Fuller stated, "I think there are moments we want to address, like how does the hockey mask happen. It’ll happen differently in our movie than in the third one. Where is Jason from, why do these killings happen, and what is Crystal Lake?" The producers expressed an interest in using the character of Tommy Jarvis and stated that they were working out an origin story for Jason that would make sense.cite news|author=Devin Faraci|url=http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=8452|title=EXCLUSIVE: PAGING TOMMY JARVIS?|publisher=CHUD|date=2007-01-08|accessdate=2007-10-21] Ultimately, it was decided that "Friday the 13th" would not be an origin story, but that the audience would get a sense of the history as the film progressed. The audience will see Jason transition from wearing a bag over his head—similar to "Friday the 13th Part 2"—to finding and actually placing the hockey mask over his face, whereas in "Friday the 13th Part III" he merely came out of the barn already wearing the mask. [cite news|author=Ryan Rotten|url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=6458|title=Set Visit Preview: Friday the 13th|publisher=Shock Till You Drop|date=2008-06-09|accessdate=2008-06-28]

Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, writers of "Freddy vs. Jason", were announced in October 2007 to have been hired to pen a script for the remake.cite news|author=Borys Kit|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ia426500233e132c71ea0487278b5bbb3|title=Duo pumps new blood into 'Friday the 13th'|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2007-10-02|accessdate=2007-10-21] The film will focus on Jason Voorhees, and that he will keep his trademark hockey mask. [cite web|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/10058|title=Platinum Confirmations: Near Dark, Friday the 13th Remakes|publisher=Bloody-Disgusting|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2007-10-03|accessate=2007-10-21] The film is being produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller through Bay's production company Platinum Dunes, for New Line Cinema. Director Jonathan Liebesman was originally in negotiations to direct the remake in February 2006, [cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/76/11176.php|title=Jonathan Liebesman Directing Friday the 13th Remake|publisher=Movie Web|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2006-02-22|accessdate=2007-10-21] but was replaced by Marcus Nispel, director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake of 2003, in November 2007. [cite news|author=Borys Kit|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib4d95be28520da0db0f10edad41c0123|title=Nispel scores a date with next 'Friday'|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2007-11-14|accessdate=2007-11-14] Jared Padalecki signed on as the lead male who investigates what happened at Crystal Lake. [cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20185711,00.html|title=Padalecki in Final Talks for 'Friday the 13th'|publication=Entertainment Weekly|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2008-03-21|accessdate=2008-03-21] Stuntman Derek Mears was hired to portray Jason Voorhees, [cite news|author=Jay Frasco|url=http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=5995|title=Casting of new 'Friday the 13th' villain splits fans down the middle|publisher=IFMagazine|date=2008-03-31|accessdate=2008-04-05] with Amanda Righetti taking the female lead. [cite news|author=Bryon Perry|title=Amanda Righetti|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983353.html?categoryId=28&cs=1|publisher=Variety|date=2008-04-02|accessdate=2008-04-05] Danielle Panabaker, Jonathan Sadowski, Travis Van Winkle, Aaron Yoo, Julianna Guill round out the rest of the cast. [cite news|url=http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-morefridaythe13thcasting,0,4558141.story|title='Shark' Co-Star Floats to 'Friday the 13th'|publisher=Zap2it|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2008-04-16|accessdate=2008-04-18] [cite web|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/12536|title=Cast & Crew Talk Earliest 'Friday the 13th' & Jason Voorhees Memories!|pubisher=Bloody-Disgusting|date=2008-06-09|accessdate=2008-06-29] Nana Visitor has been cast as Pamela Voorhees, [cite news|url=http://www.screengeeks.com/2008/04/21/breaking-news-nana-visitor-is-mrs-voorhees/|title=Nana Visitor is Mrs. Voorhees|date=2008-04-22|accessdate=2008-04-18] with a young Jason is to be played by Caleb Guss. [cite web|title=Young Jason Voorhees Cast in "Friday the 13th"|url=http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=8647|publisher=Worst Previews|date=2008-05-15|accessdate=2008-05-27] The film will have its U.S. release on Friday, February 13,2009.cite web|url=http://www.fearnet.com/MCNewsDetailPage.aspx?catid=30&mid=14390|title=Young Jason Cast in Friday the 13th remake|publisher=FearNet|date=2008-05-15|accessdate=2008-05-28] Principal photography began on April 21, 2008 in Austin, Texas and wrapped up on June 13, 2008. [cite news|author=Brad Fuller|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/platinumdunes/|title=Why THIS Friday the 13th is important!|publisher=Platinum Dunes Offical Blog|date=2008-06-06|accessdate=2008-06-15]

Creating Jason

Derek Mears was required to wear full body make-up from the chest up while performing his duties as Jason Voorhees. As Mears describes it, he wore a chest plate with fake skin that would move to all muscle movement; he also wore a fake hump on his back, and was given a variation of scoliosis. A prosthetic eye was glued to Mears's face to allow for realistic movement. For his wardrobe, Mears was given a pair of combat boots and a "high priced t-shirt" that allowed the special effects make-up to be seen through the holes in the shirt. The jacket Jason wears in the film was created by combining a hunting jacket and a military jacket – Mears wanted the hunting jacket, but the creative team liked the way the military jacket, which was longer, billowed as he was making his "kill movements". The top of the hunting jacket was removed and placed over the top of the military jacket. Mears characterizes it as a "giant Frankenstein jacket". After problems with the fake nails that he had to wear for the part, Mears grew out his own fingernails for filming. Mears describes Jason as being leaner in this film, because he does not eat as much. A "leaner" Jason was deemed more functional, with more emphasis on the hump on his back.cite news|author=Paulington James Christensen III|url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/07/29207.php|title=SET VISIT: Jason Voorhees Returns to Camp Crystal Lake for Friday the 13th!|publisher=Movieweb.com|date=2008-06-09|accessdate=2008-06-28]

Mears always related to "Jason the victim" when he was growing up as a child, and that was how he wanted to portray Jason in the film. To the actor/stuntman, Jason represents all those individuals that were picked on in high school for being outcasts of society—specifically those with physical deformities—only Jason exact his revenge on those that are trying to take of his territory (Crystal Lake). When Mears went in to audition for the role he was asked, "We really need an actor for this particular role. Why do we need an actor as opposed to just a guy in a mask? Explain that to us." To Mears, portraying Jason was similar to Greek Mask Work, where the mask and the actor are two separate entities, and, based on the scene, you will get variate combinations of mask and actor in the performance. According to Mears, it is all based on whether you realize that everything is made of energy, and if you are thinking something then it will transfer to what the camera picks up. Mears also relies on the people behind the camera, which he likens the experience to a NASCAR race. Mears is the driver and the effects team is his pit crew. As he is performing the role, the effects team will provide subtle suggestions as to ways that he can bring the character more to life on camera.

For this film, Jason's intelligence and thought processing is more defined. Mears likens the character to John Rambo, Tarzan and the Abdominal Snowman from "Looney Tunes". Jason is similar to Rambo because the audience will see him setting the other characters up to fall into his traps. Like Rambo, he is more calculated because he feels that he has been wronged and he is fighting back. He is meant to be more sympathetic in this film.

References

External links

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* [http://www.fridaythe13thmovie.com/ Official website]