Friday the 13th (2009 film)

Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift from a story by Shannon, Swift, and Mark Wheaton. It is a reboot and twelfth installment in the Friday the 13th franchise, which began in 1980. Nispel also directed the 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), while Shannon and Swift wrote the screenplay for the crossover film Freddy vs. Jason (also 2003). The film was produced by New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes and Crystal Lake Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures domestically and Paramount Pictures internationally. It stars Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, and Derek Mears. The film follows Clay Miller (Padalecki) as he searches for his missing sister, Whitney (Righetti), who is captured by Jason Voorhees (Mears) while camping in woodland at Crystal Lake.

The film was originally conceived as an origin story, but the project evolved into a re-imagining of the first four Friday the 13th films. The character Jason Voorhees was redesigned as a lean, quick killer with a backstory that allows the viewer to feel sympathy for him, but not enough that he would lose his menace. In keeping with the tone of the film, Jason's mask was recreated from a mold of the original mask used for Part III; though there were subtle changes. Friday the 13th includes some of Harry Manfredini's musical score from the previous Friday the 13th films because the producers recognized its iconic status.

Friday the 13th was theatrically released in the United States on February 13, 2009, by New Line Cinema in the United States and Canada and by Paramount Pictures in remaining worldwide territories. Despite negative reviews, the film was praised for its brutality, creative kills, cinematography, performances, and musical score. The film would go on to gross $92.7 million at the box office on a budget of $19 million, becoming the second-highest-grossing film in the franchise after Freddy vs. Jason.