In his newest suit, theres more precedent and I would bet it will be settled out of court, as compared to his ongoing suit with Miller. That one is something that I would love to talk about. Friday the 13th lawsuit update: Sean S. Cunningham says odds of a new movie being . Friday the 13th Legal Dispute Could Be Over, but Don't Expect New Movie Just Yet By Anthony Lund Published Dec 30, 2021 Legal rights and disputes are nothing new in Hollywood, but the. - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc0_UBdlG6-1yzZXPtUxkzg/joinJoin our Discord! It's likely Cunningham will appeal, but for the time being, the rights are set to revert to Cunningham. Friday the 13th: The Game Ultimate Slasher Editions Pre Orders Available Now! But I cant tell you it will come back this year or next. This was the last film to be made before the franchise got tied up in a court battle. At the trial level where the facts of the case are heard in full it was decided that Miller did own the initial copyright, was not an employee, and therefore has a claim to the copyright now. He has been constantly keeping us fans informed surrounding the legalese of this case and its minutia. 203 provides that: Termination of the grant may be effected at any time during a period of five years beginning at the end of thirty-five years from the date of execution of the grant; or, if the grant covers the right of publication of the work, the period begins at the end of thirty-five years from the date of publication of the work under the grant or at the end of forty years from the date of execution of the grant, whichever term ends earlier. If its been a while, check out the trailer and synopsis for 2009s Friday the 13th below. He is a new addition to the Screen Rant Core News team but a lifelong and passionate fan of cinema and TV. The riveting audio is available here thanks, Larry Zerner and you can get a really exciting peek into the world of appellate litigation, otherwise known as the terrifying exercise of meticulously preparing perfect oral arguments but then getting interrupted by the judges until you run out of time. The Hollywood Reporter's Eriq Gardner broke the news today that Miller, who had won a previous suit in a District Court, had emerged victorious on his appeal at the Second Circuit. 2. Often, cast and crew have contracts with the studio that include payment in the form of a percentage of the films profits. At this point, while the parties have yet to decide on how to split the rights, it would be risky to create any Friday the 13th franchise media that could lean on any lore from the first film. It wasnt a shock when LeBron James showed up to a Lakers game on Halloween 2018 dressed as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th horror films. Behind every cry for an update to Friday the 13th: The Game from Stephen Kings hellish book idea to every scream for another Voorhees reboot is a complicated legal battle for Voorhees ownership that could go all the way to the Supreme Court. Supernatural serial killer Jason Voorhees can never truly die, but it's been suggested Friday the 13th' s ongoing creator lawsuit might've killed the series. In July, franchise star Corey Feldman said that he had heard from a lawyer, who claimed to have resolved the rights issues. When Congress lengthened the term for copyrights in 1976, it threw a bone to creators of big-name projects by giving them an avenue to wrestle control of intellectual property away from producers and studios. Both sides are really dug into foxholes, Cunningham said. 2/ pic.twitter.com/utOBFYKEcC. Fans could warm up to the reboot idea if Lee's news results in something tangible, and after 13 long years without Jason Voorhees, they may not have much room to lament a new project of any kind. In fact, Mrs. Voorhees channeled Jason. Copyright Law to reclaim the rights to his work after 35 years from original director Sean S. Cunningham, and he successfully won the case and subsequent appeals. Subsequently, as 2021 comes to an apocalyptic close, we can at least be grateful for all of the incredible franchise projects we were gifted this past year. According to entertainment lawyer and Friday the 13th Part 3 star Larry Zerner, original screenwriter Victor Miller stands victorious. Cunningham would have licensed the Friday the 13th rights (as they existed at the time of the remake) to the studios for the 2009 film. Victor always saw the story he helped write as a revenge story about a mother, and considered Jason to be a victim. For us horror fans anxiously awaiting a new Jason movie, this isnt great news. While you wait, check out the trippy official poster for Haunted Mansion below! Lakers star James isnt the only heavy hitter to salivate over the prospect of a new Friday the 13th. Horror icon Stephen King dangled his own wish to write a new story from the perspective of Jason Voorhees himself. Friday The 13th Reboot Movie Gets Hopeful Update Amid Legal Battles By Bart Woinski Published Aug 8, 2022 Vertigo Entertainment founder Roy Lee teases that exciting news about the Friday the 13th franchise could arrive soon despite the legal stalemate. Presumably, the studio will push for a Supreme Court hearing, or will otherwise work to negotiate some sort of rights split. What argument is Sean S. Cunningham making to keep. *UPDATE*: Larry Zerner broke down this latest lawsuit in a little more detail over on Twitter today, noting that it only pertains to Friday the 13th 2009. Friday The 13: The Game Update 1.40 May 4 Brings the Final Update to the Game. Cunningham says he is prepared to fight if Miller tries to make a Friday the 13th with an adult version of the Jason character at the center. Friday The 13th Reboot Movie Gets Hopeful Update Amid Legal Battles, lawsuit filed by screenwriter Victor Miller. NOES has already been clawed back, but what about the rest of the slasher villains sitting in the wings itching to be rebooted? All Rights Reserved. Is A Solo Pamela Voorhees Friday The 13th Possible Following The Lawsuit? Cunningham is alleging that Paramount and Warner Bros used improper deductions of fees and bonuses, undervalued licenses, an underreporting of merchandizing revenue and pay TV income, and on and on, in calculating the amount owed to Cunningham for licenses to Friday the 13th. Meanwhile, weve learned via The Hollywood Reporter that a whole nother Friday the 13th legal battle is underway, with Sean Cunningham now going after WB and Paramount. Last week, we reported that original Friday the 13th director and Sean Cunningham and his production company Horror Inc. had launched a lawsuit against Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.. There might have been risk in targeting the studio while the rights to make more Friday the 13th media were still in hand. Well, Larry says it best: Does this mean that the parties have settled or are close to settling (and a new movie is forthcoming)? In Feldman's mind, this clears a path to ignore the previous reboot -- which he calls an "atrocity" -- and make a movie that reunites his version of his character with Jason. Days before his costume caught attention, it had been reported that James was interested in bringing the horror icon back to the big screen through his production company, SpringHill. But the masked killer has been off screen since the release of director Marcus Nispels Friday the 13th in 2009. 1/. Furthermore, LeBron James would have been involved with his SpringHill Entertainment. Since 2009's Friday the 13th reboot, however, no new projects have been created due to a lawsuit filed by screenwriter Victor Miller, who penned the 1980 classic. Sean Cunningham and Horror Inc.s appeal was based on their position that the trial judge erred in not considering WGA membership the Writers Guild of America, the union screenwriters can belong to when considering the Reid Factors, the factors that decide if Miller was an employee or contractor in the case linked above. After a three year run, the latest chapter in the Jason Voorhees story is coming to something of an end (via IGN ). Lee, an experienced producer on IT and the upcoming thriller movieBarbarian, likely facilitated such an agreement already and is waiting for the legal go-ahead to share an official announcement. According to a complaint filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior . I doubt it.. Since the decision requires a majority vote, its possible that it was split and Judge Winters vote was in the majority. As fans know, the property has unfortunately been the focus of a. Therefore, he cannot ask for it back. With only a few months left to go, it shouldnt be much longer before we know what this exciting news could be. Essentially, movies are set up as corporations, and every expense can be counted as against profit. Well just have to wait to see whats next. Miller now owns the copyright to his screenplay, including sequel rights, but Jason cant be portrayed as any older than in the first movie? Copyright fights are on the horizon for many well-known characters. 6 Terrifying Horror Mockumentaries Thatll Make You Question Reality, Return To Silent Hill: Exciting New Details Emerge About Sequel, The Blackening Trailer For Buzzy, Black Horror Satire Arrives: We cant all die first. What does this mean? Miller took advantage of a provision of U.S. You are only able to argue that the initial trial judge made an error of law, and present your position that, but for the error, the case would be decided differently. Though dragging it on could mean more time without a Jason movie, its a pretty nuanced issue that would be interesting to have decided by the courts. As it stands, the courts have not decided on Jason Voorhees as we know him, so an isolated and alienated Voorhees could exist with no backstory on his own, like he might in a Mortal Kombat game. With this in mind, a potential new Miller-produced Friday the 13th movie would . This all-important fact remains unclear as the ongoing legal battle for Friday the 13th ownership trudges on. Well, without a new Friday The 13th movie for now. The Copyright Act of 1976 says that the original author of a work can petition to terminate a transfer of copyright 35 years after original publication, andFriday the 13thwriter Victor Miller wants to do just that, so that he can own the property going forward. I really hope this ends in 2022. At least, thats what film producer Roy Lee has now teased when asked about the Friday the 13th franchise. And Miller, got bupkis.. This was explored recently in the case of a documentary being made about The Room. | Friday the 13th Lawsuit Update + New Release. - YouTube #slashncast Friday the 13th LAWSUIT UPDATE | NO Supreme Court! Miller is seeking to terminate the copyright transfer of the original film's screenplay, which Cunningham had claimed was written as a work made for hire, and not eligible for a termination notice. The assumption is that now that the issue of the Part I script is decided (subject to any appeals to the Supreme Court), Miller and Cunningham will drill down into the franchise rights on their own and find a fair split. While its hard to decipher exactly what this update means for fans, theres a chance this is good news for friends of Jason. 51,026 views Dec 30, 2021 1.8K Dislike Share Slash 'N. We can license television series, exploring Crystal Lake and how Jason became who he is think Twin Peaks or Bates Motel, Toberoff said. It also now includes information on the 2021 Cunningham v Paramount lawsuit. Thanks to Sean Cunningham us horror fans now know we can except a new Jason Voorhees movie in 2023. its unclear if this is a Friday the 13th reboot or a Friday the 13th sequel to the scary movie franchise. Until a final decision is made, no more movies will be produced. On January 29, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Cunningham has launched a lawsuit against Paramount and Warner Bros over the net profits of the Friday the 13th series. Crystal Lake Reunion Friday the 13th Franchise Stars Reuniting at Original Movies Filming Location! This post on the Friday the 13th lawsuit was updated on October 2, 2021, to reflect the current status of the Horror Inc. v Miller case. The quickest route to a new Jason movie is if Cunningham and Miller accept the courts decision and decide not to continue through the courts. The US and Canada do differ a bit here, but the argument for diminishing value can apply. By Russ Burlingame CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. You can find her writing on CGMagazine, Pajiba, What to Watch, Grim Magazine, StarTrek.com, and Bloody Disgusting and can follow her work on Twitter and Instagram. Licensing agreements vary, but we can assume this one granted Cunningham a percentage of profits, which he is alleging were fudged by their accounting resulting in him getting paid less than he feels he was entitled. As this will be a precedent-setting case, its safe to assume other studios and copyright owners have interest in the outcome, and will want this to be decided by the Supreme Court. There is still the ability to appeal to the Supreme Court, though scholars dont think it will be certified and heard. November 1, 2022. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Cunningham has filed a new lawsuit against Paramount and Warner Bros. over net profits, purporting that hes discovered through audits that there have been improper deductions of fees and bonuses, undervalued licenses, an underreporting of merchandising revenue and pay TV income, and more. Full story to come. As such, it looks like whatever Friday the 13th news Roy Lee is referring to, we should be hearing about it by the end of this year. 12:04 PM EDT, Fri May 13, 2022. As we edge towards a full 15 years without the resurfacing of Jason Voorhees, some possible good hits Twitter. Click here for further insights.*. A scene from the 2009 film "Friday the 13th. The lawsuit ONLY concerns profits of the 2009 F13 Reboot. A court sided with Miller, but in interviews with CNN, Cunningham and Millers attorney reveal why Jason may not have hacked his way out of court just yet. The ruling was based on the finding that "Miller was an independent contractor when he wrote the screenplay, and is therefore entitled to authorship rights.". When Zerners character is killed, Jason takes ownership of a hockey mask that Shelly had used to scare one of his friends. (Jasons mother was the killer in Millers original film). What risks are associated with another Jason movie? 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