‘Friday the 13th’ Movies Returning to Theaters on Friday the 13th

As a huge horror fan, I can’t believe it’s been so long since Jason Voorhees stalked the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake! The last Friday the 13th reboot was way back in 2009 – that’s 17 years! Seriously, that movie could practically drive itself now. It’s crazy when you consider the Alien franchise has had two reboots since then. It’s getting a little ridiculous how long we’ve waited for another Friday the 13th installment.

Good news for fans eagerly awaiting a new Friday the 13th movie: several of the classic films will be re-released in theaters in 2026! Regal Cinemas is planning screenings of most of the series throughout the year, naturally on Friday the 13ths.

Here is how the schedule of screenings shakes out:

Friday, February 13 – Friday the 13th (1980) and Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday, March 13 – Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D (1982) and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Friday, November 13 – Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

According to a press release, Regal Cinemas is intentionally leaving out the fifth Friday the 13th film, A New Beginning, from their screening series. They state this is because of a plot twist involving a ‘fake Jason’ that most fans don’t like, and they want to honor the established history of the Voorhees family. It’s a considerate move, apparently.

Horror fans have enjoyed these classic ’80s movies for decades on VHS, cable TV, and now streaming, but they’re rarely shown in theaters. (I’ve watched every film in the series myself – though only the 2009 remake was on the big screen!) This is a great chance to experience these films as they were originally meant to be seen.

You can buy tickets for the Friday the 13th retro screenings at any Regal theater, through the Regal mobile app, or on their website. Plus, while fans wait for a new Friday the 13th movie, a Friday the 13th TV series called Crystal Lake is planned for streaming on Peacock.

10 Horror Movies That Saved Bad Franchises

1. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Released well before films like Scream, Jason Lives cleverly poked fun at the predictable tropes of slasher movies. The Friday the 13th series had already become known for its over-the-top violence, and Jason Lives responded by openly acknowledging and satirizing those clichés. The film even features characters breaking the fourth wall and commenting on the silly decisions horror movie characters often make. While many Friday the 13th movies were unintentionally funny due to their low quality, Jason Lives, written by Tom McLoughlin, is genuinely witty and brought a new energy to the tired zombie villain.

2. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Even before the 2003 film Freddy vs. Jason, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger were connected in the minds of horror fans. Both series were hugely influential in 1980s horror, but both also went through periods where they became more silly than scary. While later Nightmare on Elm Street movies had some creative moments, it wasn’t until New Nightmare in 1994 that the series truly recaptured its original unsettling feel. (Notably, it was also the first Freddy film since the original, and was directed by the series creator, Wes Craven.)

Like Jason Lives, New Nightmare offered a clever twist on a tired idea. The film is about making a new Freddy sequel, and features actors from the franchise – including Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp – playing themselves. Because movies are often likened to dreams, a Hollywood studio provides the ideal setting for Freddy Krueger’s return. He begins to haunt the cast and crew who are trying to bring him back for another profitable film. Attempts to return A Nightmare on Elm Street to a more traditional slasher style haven’t been as successful since.

3. Bride of Chucky (1998)

The first two sequels to Child’s Play didn’t just bring Chucky the killer doll back to life, they continued the story of his battle with his original owner, Andy Barclay. Starting with the fourth film, the series’ title changed to Chucky, signaling a new direction that breathed fresh life into the franchise. Instead of repeating the same story of a child versus an evil doll, the films became more bizarre and dreamlike, with more obvious humor and even some dark romance.

In Bride of Chucky, the notorious stab-happy doll finds a partner in both crime and love—the perfectly cast Jennifer Tilly—and they embark on a road trip to regain their human forms. The movie features over-the-top violence, surprisingly suggestive puppet scenes, and even killer baby dolls. It’s no surprise Bride of Chucky became a cult hit and reignited interest in Chucky, attracting a new generation of fans who continue to support the sequels, reboot, and TV series.

4. Saw VI (2009)

Although James Wan and Leigh Whannell started the Saw series, many fans agree the best film came later. Saw VI features a truly deserving target for Jigsaw’s traps – a cold-hearted insurance executive – and cleverly compares Jigsaw’s methods to the flaws within our healthcare system. It’s similar to A Christmas Carol, but with deadly traps instead of ghostly visits. The film also boasts what many consider the most inventive trap in the entire series: the executive (played by Peter Outerbridge) is forced to decide which of his employees lives or dies while they’re strapped to a spinning merry-go-round rigged with a shotgun. As the merry-go-round spins, he must choose who survives as his colleagues beg for their lives – and quickly turn on each other in a desperate attempt to survive. It’s a darkly satirical commentary on American corporate culture!

5. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

It’s tough for horror movie sequels to become scarier than the original, often relying on more gore and violence. This was a particular challenge for the Paranormal Activity series. The first film was effective because it used simple, realistic camcorder footage – subtle movements were enough to suggest a haunting.

But when the sequels introduced more obvious supernatural events, like in Paranormal Activity 2, it lost the feeling that the footage could be real. The third film tried something different by going back in time and using old VHS tapes, which added a fun, retro vibe. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman cleverly used the grainy video quality, but later installments returned to the present and struggled to come up with new ideas. Soon, the films felt unbelievable and, ultimately, lost their audience.

6. Riddick (2013)

The movie Riddick cleverly flips the script from the original Pitch Black, where Riddick used his night vision to escape monsters, to now becoming the monster himself. This sequel is a refreshing change from both Pitch Black and the overly elaborate The Chronicles of Riddick, and doesn’t easily fit into one genre. It feels like a series of connected short films. The first part is a gritty survival story, with Riddick stranded on a dangerous planet. Then, it turns into a suspenseful hunt as a group of mercenaries pursue him, with Riddick expertly taking them down one by one. The final section echoes the original Pitch Black, preventing it from being a perfect action film. However, the movie is incredibly entertaining, and Vin Diesel shines as a lone hero, forming a strong connection with a charming alien dog who helps him hunt. If you’re looking for a good Vin Diesel movie outside of the Fast & Furious franchise, this is the one to watch.

7. Alien: Covenant (2017)

The Alien series stands out because it has more strong sequels than many horror franchises – I even defend Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection to a degree. However, despite being visually impressive and exploring thought-provoking themes about what it means to be human, I’ve always struggled with the plot holes and illogical moments in Prometheus (like why those characters kept running straight towards danger!).

I much prefer Alien: Covenant. While it’s not perfect, it features an amazing performance by Michael Fassbender, who plays two different androids. His roles shift this Alien prequel closer to a spiritual successor of Blade Runner, which makes it more engaging than just another story of aliens attacking astronauts (though, admittedly, there’s still plenty of that!).

8. Halloween (2018)

I remember when David Gordon Green’s Halloween came out – it was the eleventh film in the series, and honestly, maybe only the third or fourth truly good one, depending on your mood. The original Halloween was a masterpiece, so simple and terrifying, but the sequels? They just kept adding more and more to the story – Druids, cults, secret family connections… it got really over the top. Then Green came along and basically said, ‘Let’s forget everything except the first movie.’ That simple approach, and his strong direction, brought some real scares back to the franchise. Sadly, even he couldn’t keep the magic going. Halloween Kills and especially Halloween Ends felt like they were repeating the same ideas, and eventually, Michael Myers just lost his edge. It almost felt like he needed to be finished… at least until someone decides to reboot it all again.

9. Prey (2022)

As a big fan of the Predator movies, I’ve always felt it’s dodged the bullet a lot of other 80s monster flicks haven’t when it comes to sequels. Predator 2 is just a blast of action, and Predators felt like a really cool, dark Twilight Zone episode with some seriously dangerous aliens. But honestly, the Alien vs. Predator movies never quite delivered on the promise of that awesome monster mash-up, and The Predator… well, it was clear that one had been seriously messed with after filming. Thankfully, things really turned around with Prey. That prequel, set in colonial America with Comanche warriors, was fantastic! It was so well-received, in fact, that director Dan Trachtenberg is now getting to make another Predator movie for the big screen, and there’s even an animated Predator film, Predator: Killer of Killers, coming to Hulu. It’s a great time to be a Predator fan!

10. Scream (2022)

The original Scream brilliantly satirized decades of tired slasher movie clichés. Scream 2 cleverly poked fun at sequel tropes. However, the series began to lose its edge with Scream 3, which attempted to comment on trilogies but felt too similar to its previous satire. Scream 4 tried to lampoon remakes, but since it wasn’t one itself, it awkwardly included commentary on the then-new world of YouTube.

The long break before Scream (2022) actually benefited the franchise. It allowed the filmmakers to target a fresh trend: “legacyquels” – sequels that revisit older franchises with new casts. This revitalized the series, leading to another sequel, Scream VI, just a year later.

2026-02-10 20:28