Silent Night, Deadly Night Remake Director Has a Killer Pitch for the Next Friday the 13th

Here is where the holiday horror and hockey-mask news collide. Cineverse - the Terrifier folks - is rolling out a new take on Silent Night, Deadly Night this December, and the guy directing it, Mike P. Nelson, is also trying to be the one who finally gets the next Friday the 13th movie off the ground.

First up: the killer Santa remake

Cineverse put a Silent Night, Deadly Night remake into production earlier this year with Mike P. Nelson - who rebooted Wrong Turn - writing and directing. Cineverse and its horror label Bloody Disgusting have teamed with Iconic Events Releasing to get it into theaters on December 12. If you are keeping score, this is Nelson’s second swing at reviving an 80s horror brand in the last year.

Nelson already dipped a toe back into Crystal Lake

In August, he wrote and directed a Friday the 13th short called Sweet Revenge and dropped it on YouTube. Then it vanished. No explanation, which is odd, even by slasher standards. Either way, Nelson clearly wants in on whatever the next official Jason feature is, and he has been talking to the people who can make that happen.

'They are working on it, that I can promise you, because I have heard of it and because I have that direct communication with them, it is there. So that is really happening. And yes, they have reached out to me about it. I have given my two cents, I have given them my take, and right now it is in their court and we will go from there.'

That is Nelson to Slash Film, confirming Horror, Inc. - the Friday the 13th rights holders - are actively developing a new movie and that he has pitched his version. He also made the case for not treating legacy IP like a museum piece: basically, stop being precious and take some swings. I get the argument, but personally, after this long a drought, I would not be mad at a back-to-basics camp slasher that remembers why people fell for these in the first place.

How we got here, briefly

• The 80s cranked out eight Friday the 13th movies, missing only 1983 and 1987 on the calendar. Fans joked the goal was 13 films. Then the brakes hit.
• The 90s gave us just one sequel. The 2000s added another entry, a Freddy vs. Jason crossover, and a reboot.
• The 2009 reboot was the last official live-action Friday the 13th anything until Sweet Revenge showed up as a short this summer - a 16-year dry spell.
• After years of legal gridlock, the rights mess has finally been sorted. The Crystal Lake prequel series is targeting a 2026 debut.
• Horror, Inc. now says a new feature is in development, which would put us on the doorstep of movie number 13. And no, that number would not be the end - this series only stops when people stop showing up. Attempts to 'end' Friday the 13th have never stuck.

So, should Nelson be the guy?

Depends who you ask. Sweet Revenge did not land with a thud exactly, but it was not a lovefest either. Reviewer Tyler Nichols gave the short a 4 out of 10. On the other hand, he scored Nelson’s Silent Night, Deadly Night remake a 7 out of 10. Mixed signals, but not a dealbreaker.

Bottom line: Crystal Lake is heating back up. A new Friday feature is moving through development. Nelson has a pitch in the mix. If this really becomes Part 13, let’s hope it remembers the machete, the lake, and the vibe - and if it wants to color outside the lines, it better be worth the blood.