While there are many styles of films that can fall under the general category of “horror,” slasher cinema has proved to be one of the most enduringly popular subgenres. Although the iconography of the subgenre can be traced back to the popularity of Halloween and Black Christmas in the 1970s, there aren’t many slashers who are quite as iconic as Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise. Ever since the franchise’s emergence in 1980, Jason has ranked as one of the greatest movie villains of all-time.
Unlike its rivals in the Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, the Friday the 13th saga is essentially a series of mainstream cult films that occasionally break through with major audiences. While none of the films in the series have become massive blockbusters, many of the Friday the 13th sequels became very profitable due to their low budget. Camp Crystal Lake may not be a real place, but that doesn’t mean that horror buffs have shown any less enthusiasm for the series. Here is every Friday the 13th movie, ranked by its global box office performance.
12 ‘Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan’ (1989)
Worldwide gross: $14,343,976
Although the franchise had begun to steadily decline in quality by the late 1980s, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan proved to be the most disappointing entry in the Friday the 13th series thus far. Much of the disappointment had to do with the film’s strange and manipulative marketing campaign; despite the title’s suggestion that Jason would be let loose within the biggest city in America, the masked slasher doesn’t enter the Big Apple until the climax of the film. At that point, audiences had already grown irritated by the film’s grating characters.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan was a major financial disappointment, earning just over $14 million at the global box office. The film’s failure inspired the franchise’s creators to take a much different direction with the next installment, adding more fantasy and an extended backstory for Jason himself.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Jason Voorhees is accidentally awakened from his watery grave and ends up stalking a ship full of graduating high-school students headed to Manhattan, New York.
- Release Date
- July 28, 1989
- Director
- Rob Hedden
- Cast
- Todd Caldecott , Tiffany Paulsen , Tim Mirkovich , Kane Hodder , Jensen Daggett , Barbara Bingham
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Victor Miller , Rob Hedden
- Tagline
- I LOVE NY
11 ‘Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday’ (1993)
Worldwide gross: $15,935,068
While it performed marginally better than its predecessor, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday was another box office bomb for the Friday the 13th franchise that forced the series to take a long break. Earning just over $15 million at the global box office, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday clearly did not generate any enthusiasm based on the claim that it was the “final” installment in the series. While the film did make attempts to rewrite elements of Jason’s backstory to make him a more interesting character, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday is consistently ranked as the least watchable movie in the series by fans.
Although it made for a disappointing conclusion to a series that had at least been enjoyable as a “guilty pleasure” up until that point, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday did hint at some exciting crossovers in the franchise’s future. The incorporation of more overtly supernatural elements laid the groundwork for the eventual crossover event with the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
- Release Date
- August 13, 1993
- Director
- Adam Marcus
- Cast
- Kane Hodder , John D. LeMay , Kari Keegan , Steven Williams , Steven Culp , Erin Gray
- Runtime
- 87
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Jay Huguely , Adam Marcus , Dean Lorey
- Tagline
- Evil has finally found a home.
10 ‘Jason X’ (2001)
Worldwide gross: $17,077,882
Despite being absent from cinema for almost a decade, the Friday the 13th franchise attempted to make an unexpected comeback in 2001 with the science fiction sequel Jason X. While it certainly took the series to a place it had never been before, Jason X was too poorly reviewed to successfully revive the Friday the 13th franchise. Its total global box office gross of over $17 million may only be reflective of the franchise’s most hardcore fans and audiences that saw the film out of morbid curiosity.
While it's cited as the moment where the franchise officially “jumped the shark,” Jason X has been accepted as a cult hit by some circles of fans. The film’s blatant mix of cynicism and stupidity at least avoids any notions of self-seriousness that would detract from its entertainment value. It’s also delightfully weird; no other Friday the 13th movie has a cameo by David Cronenberg.
Jason X
- Release Date
- July 24, 2001
- Director
- James Isaac
- Cast
- Kane Hodder , Lexa Doig , Chuck Campbell , Lisa Ryder , Peter Mensah , Melyssa Ade
- Runtime
- 91
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Victor Miller , Todd Farmer
- Tagline
- Evil gets an upgrade
9 ‘Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood’ (1988)
Worldwide gross: $19,170,001
While it managed to find another half-hearted explanation for reviving Jason, Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood was released when the slasher genre was past its prime. Both the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween sequels had started to dwindle in popularity, and the same backlash affected the Friday the 13th franchise. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood failed to benefit from the success of its more well-reviewed predecessor, earning under $20 million at the global box office.
A recurring issue in many of the Friday the 13th sequels was their lack of originality, as there’s nothing in Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood that differentiates it from any other installments in the series. Although the notion of Jason battling an adolescent girl with supernatural powers is certainly a compelling one, the film ultimately descends into the same third act shenanigans that earmarked every other entry in the Friday the 13th series.
Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood
- Release Date
- May 13, 1988
- Director
- John Carl Buechler
- Cast
- Kane Hodder , Lar Park-Lincoln , Susan Jennifer Sullivan , Kevin Spirtas , Terry Kiser , Susan Blu
- Runtime
- 90
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Daryl Haney , Manuel Fidello , Victor Miller
- Tagline
- On Friday the 13th, Jason will meet his match.
8 ‘Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives’ (1986)
Worldwide gross: $19,472,525
While most franchises begin to experience signs of critical decline by the time that they reach their sixth installment, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives set the template for what a Friday the 13th film should be. Any notions of self-seriousness were dropped entirely for a fun, action-packed sequel that acknowledged the recurring hallmarks of the series in a cheeky fashion. While the Friday the 13th series has consistently failed to deliver interesting characters outside of Jason, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives made for a compelling conclusion to the story arc featuring the character Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews).
While not one of the year’s top grossing films, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives performed well compared to its budget. Grossing over $19 million at the global box office, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives performed well enough that it justified New Line Cinema’s continued interest in developing sequels.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
- Release Date
- August 1, 1986
- Director
- Tom McLoughlin
- Cast
- Thom Mathews , Jennifer Cooke , David Kagen , Kerry Noonan , Renée Jones , Tom Fridley
- Runtime
- 86
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Tom McLoughlin , Victor Miller
- Tagline
- Kill or be killed!
7 ‘Friday the 13th Part 2’ (1981)
Worldwide gross: $21,722,776
While the first film had generated much fanfare due to its shocking plot twist, Friday the 13th Part 2 was the first true Friday the 13th franchise, and established the core tenants of the series. The first film to feature Jason himself as the main antagonist also featured a compelling final girl in Ginny (Amy Steel), a character who was much more empathic than the generally forgettable victims in the other sequels. Friday the 13th Part 2 reached an impressive worldwide gross of over $21 million.
While Friday the 13th Part 2 was not as successful as the first film in the series, it's arguably the most important installment in the entire series. While the first installment was merely a cheaply produced knockoff of Halloween, Friday the 13th Part 2 established the core mythology that is essential to the saga’s success.
Friday the 13th Part 2
- Release Date
- May 1, 1981
- Director
- Steve Miner
- Cast
- Amy Steel , John Furey , Adrienne King , Kirsten Baker , Stuart Charno , Warrington Gillette
- Runtime
- 87
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Ron Kurz , Victor Miller
- Tagline
- The body count continues...
6 ‘Friday the 13th: A New Beginning’ (1985)
Worldwide gross: $21,930,418
While the previous entry has been ostensibly dubbed as “the final chapter” within the franchise, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning suggested that the Friday the 13th series would always find a way to return. Despite a great marketing campaign that promised the return of the saga’s iconic villain, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning didn’t even feature Jason as the main antagonist, opting to focus on the new killer, Roy Burns (Dick Wieand). However, the film’s ending did tease the future of Jason, perfectly setting up the series for another installment.
With its worldwide box office gross of over $21 million, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning proved that the franchise was impervious to bad reviews. Despite earning backlash for its lazy plot twists and lack of legitimate scares, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning’s financial performance did not suffer.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
- Release Date
- March 22, 1985
- Director
- Danny Steinmann
- Cast
- Melanie Kinnaman , Debi Sue Voorhees , John Shepherd , Shavar Ross , Richard Young , Marco St. John
- Runtime
- 92
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Martin Kitrosser , David Cohen , Danny Steinmann , Victor Miller
- Tagline
- Jason still haunts you, you're not alone!
5 ‘Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter’ (1984)
Worldwide gross: $32,980,880
With easily the best climax of any film in the franchise, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter rode a wave of critical support to become one of the most successful entries in the series. While the previous films in the saga had been tied to the location of Camp Crystal Lake, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter switched up the formula by setting Jason loose in a suburban community. With more creative death sequences, a likable set of young characters, and a deeper analysis of Jason’s motivations, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter became a fan favorite that reached a global box office gross of over $32 million.
In addition to solidifying Jason’s status among horror’s most ruthless villains, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was the first film in the saga to develop a recurring protagonist. The film introduced Corey Feldman as the young hero Tommy Jarvis, a character who would be recast twice in the next two installments.
Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter
- Release Date
- April 13, 1984
- Director
- Joseph Zito
- Cast
- Kimberly Beck , Peter Barton , Corey Feldman , Erich Anderson , Crispin Glover , Clyde Hayes
- Runtime
- 90
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Barney Cohen , Martin Kitrosser , Ron Kurz , Victor Miller , Bruce Hidemi Sakow , Carol Watson
- Tagline
- Three Times Before You Have Felt The Terror, Known The Madness, Lived The Horror. But This Is The One You've Been Screaming For.
4 ‘Friday the 13th Part III’ (1982)
Worldwide gross: $36,690,067
Released within the packed summer movie season of 1982, Friday the 13th Part III capitalized on the 3D craze to become one of the franchise’s bigger hits. While the 3D technology at the time was hardly as well-developed as it would become in subsequent decades, the use of pop-out gags and other gimmicks certainly helped Friday the 13th Part III distinguish itself among horror sequels. Reaching a global box office gross of over $36 million, the success of Friday the 13th Part III suggested that enthusiasm for the series had not diminished in the slightest.
While its predecessor was the first sequel to feature Jason as the primary antagonist, Friday the 13th Part III was the first Friday the 13th film that featured Jason’s iconic hockey mask. The white mask would go on to become one of the most recognizable symbols within the franchise’s history.
Friday the 13th Part III
- Release Date
- August 13, 1982
- Director
- Steve Miner
- Cast
- Dana Kimmell , Paul Kratka , Tracie Savage , Jeffrey Rogers , Catherine Parks , Larry Zerner
- Runtime
- 95
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Martin Kitrosser , Carol Watson , Victor Miller , Ron Kurz , Petru Popescu
- Tagline
- A new dimension in terror.
3 ‘Friday the 13th’ (1980)
Worldwide gross: $39,911,960
Although its sequels would go to bolder and more unexpected places, the original Friday the 13th was a box office phenomenon like nothing the industry had ever seen before. Grossing over $39 million at the global box office on an estimated budget of less than $1 million, Friday the 13th proved that low-budget horror films can be extremely profitable. Its success spawned many imitators, but few took grasp of the popular culture zeitgeist in the same way that Friday the 13th did.
While its isolated setting feels rather quaint in comparison to its sequels, the original Friday the 13th remains one of the scariest entries in the series. The horrific death of Kevin Bacon’s character Jack Burrell was a shocking cinematic movement that proved that no one in a Friday the 13th movie was ever safe; its final twist gave viewers a disturbing ending that lingered far after the credits rolled.
Friday the 13th
- Release Date
- May 9, 1980
- Director
- Sean S. Cunningham
- Cast
- Betsy Palmer , Adrienne King , Jeannine Taylor , Robbi Morgan , Kevin Bacon
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Victor Miller , Ron Kurz
- Production Company
- Paramount Pictures, Georgetown Productions Inc., Sean S. Cunningham Films
2 ‘Friday the 13th’ (2009)
Worldwide gross: $91,509,154
In the early 21st century, action movie maestro Michael Bay grew obsessed with remaking horror classics through his production company, Platinum Dunes. While Bay’s retooling of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror were both successful, the 2009 version of Friday the 13th is one of the rare remakes that surpassed the original. Grossing over $91 million at the global box office, the Friday the 13th remake surpassed expectations to become the highest-grossing standalone entry in the series.
Despite the film’s financial success, the remake of Friday the 13th marks the last time a new Jason adventure hit theaters. The film’s steep drop-off after its opening weekend and relatively negative reviews has not endured enough enthusiasm for New Line Cinema to develop another sequel in over a decade. While it was a net win for Platinum Dunes at the time of its initial release, the Friday the 13th remake did not ensure the franchise’s longevity.
Friday the 13th (2009)
- Release Date
- February 13, 2009
- Director
- Marcus Nispel
- Cast
- Jared Padalecki , Amanda Righetti , Derek Mears , Danielle Panabaker
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Victor Miller , Damian Shannon , Mark Swift
- Production Company
- New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes
1 ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ (2003)
Worldwide gross: $116,643,421
Ironically enough, the highest grossing film in the Friday the 13th franchise isn’t really a Friday the 13th movie at all. After the possibility was teased in the 1991 sequel Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Freddy vs. Jason finally saw the masked Friday the 13th killer facing off with Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare On Elm Street series. The notion of seeing two of the most iconic slashers in history locked in combat was apparently enough for audiences, who pushed the film to an impressive global box office gross of over $116 million.
While it was a much anticipated event that seemed to please fans of both franchises, Freddy vs. Jason seemed to benefit the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise more than the Friday the 13th saga. Freddy certainly dominated a majority of the film’s runtime, giving Englund a perfect final opportunity to appear as his most iconic character.
Freddy vs. Jason
- Release Date
- August 15, 2003
- Director
- Ronny Yu
- Cast
- Robert Englund , Ken Kirzinger , Monica Keena , Jason Ritter , Kelly Rowland , Chris Marquette
- Runtime
- 97
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Victor Miller , Damian Shannon , Mark Swift
- Studio
- New Line Cinema
- Tagline
- Winner kills all.
- Website
- http://www.freddyvsjason.com