The Wild Friday The 13th Sci-Fi Movie Crossover That Never Happened
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The "Friday the 13th" franchise has largely taken place in and around Camp Crystal Lake, the place that Jason Voorhees calls home. But any slasher movie franchise that goes on long enough will eventually divert from its formula, as this franchise did in 2001 when "Jason X," one of the best so-bad-it's-good movies of all time, took Mr. Voorhees to space to shed some blood amongst the stars. And had the writer of that movie gotten his way, the film would have involved a pretty major science fiction crossover.
In the book "Taking Shape II: The Lost Halloween Sequels" by writers Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins, screenwriter Todd Farmer discussed his unmade "Halloween" movie, entitled "Halloween 3D," which was eventually shut down by the Weinstein Company. It would have taken place in the continuity of Rob Zombie's "Halloween" movies.
But Farmer also wrote "Jason X," which was directed by James Isaac. The writer discussed the process of crafting that movie and revealed that he originally wanted it to take place in the same universe as Ridley Scott's surprisingly personal sci-fi flick "Blade Runner." Here's what he had to say about it:
"My reasoning for putting Jason in space was that 'Freddy vs Jason' was in development and we didn't know what they were going to do. So, if we set our movie in the future, then that'd be our way to avoid any issues. I wanted to set it in the Blade Runner world, and they said, 'We can't afford that.' So, I said, 'Great, let's do Aliens. Stick him on a spaceship.'"
"Freddy vs. Jason" eventually brought two slasher icons together in 2003, after spending years trapped in development hell.
Jason X brought Friday the 13th to space without a big crossover
Originally, "E.T." buried both "The Thing" and "Blade Runner" at the box office, but the latter has since become a sci-fi classic. Harrison Ford plays a man named Deckard, who must pursue and terminate four so-called replicants that have come to Earth to find their creator. Todd Farmer believed that the Jason Voorhees of the future could exist in same universe as that film.
The first "Blade Runner" took place in 2019, with the cautionary tale that was "Blade Runner 2049" taking place in, well, 2049. "Jason X," as it currently exists, takes place in 2455. Whether or not that year changed after the "Blade Runner" crossover was shot down is a mystery. Speaking further, Farmer discussed what he was trying to accomplish with the movie, despite not getting to use this other treasured piece of IP.
"I loved Aliens and thought, 'Well, that would be fun. Take aliens out and put Jason in.' I can see why hardcore fans would just lose it over that, but I never understood it. I mean, I'm fifty. I'm a hardcore fan. I grew up with all of these franchises. Why on earth would I just want more of the same? As long as the movie is good, as long as the telling is good, then you've won me over already. I get that fans – when they want something, they want it. (laughs)"
It's unclear whether Farmer's original conception involved Jason crossing over with any "Blade Runner" characters, or if the connection was meant to be more subtle, like including familiar corporations or signage from that movie into his story. Perhaps someone will ask him to expand on his vision in a future interview.