Summary
- Kevin Bacon commemorated 44 years of
Friday the 13th
by recreating his iconic death scene in a hilarious video with his family. - Bacon’s role in the horror slasher was punctuated by a gruesome death while enjoying some pot, paving the way for his successful career.
- Despite the
Friday the 13th
prequel series
Crystal Lake
facing setbacks, fans are eagerly awaiting more content set in the Jason Voorhees universe.
On May 9, 1980, the world was first introduced to a group of unwitting camp counselors getting picked off one-by-one by a mysterious killer in Friday the 13th, and the horror genre has never been the same since. One of those camp counselors just happened to be an up-and-coming young actor by the name of Kevin Bacon, who was fresh off the success of appearing in National Lampoon’s Animal House. His death in the horror slasher is still remembered to this day, and to celebrate 44 years of Friday the 13th, the 65-year-old shared a hilarious video with his wife and kids recreating his iconic demise.
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham with a script by Victor Miller, Friday the 13th brought legendary make-up artist Tom Savini on board to create the film’s blood-soaked deaths. In what would become a genre cliché, Bacon met his end while he was enjoying a blunt after having sex with Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), who had gone to the bathroom to freshen up. It was then that he was pierced through the throat by an arrow coming up from under the bed, spewing blood all over the place as he choked on his last breaths.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Bacon celebrated Friday the 13th’s 44th anniversary by sharing a video of himself just trying to enjoy an afternoon nap. His wife, actor and director Kyra Sedgwick, and two kids, Travis and Sosie, were having none of it, though, as Travis placed a fake arrow on his father’s chest and the family proceeded to duck behind the couch and mimic composer Harry Manfredini’s classic ‘ki-ki-ki-ma-ma-ma,’ signifying the appearance of the killer in the film. A startled Bacon awoke to see the arrow, and leaped up in a moment of PTSD.
You can check out the full video below, with a caption by Bacon that reads, “That was a close one… 44 years since Friday the 13th, and I still can’t take a nap in peace. #FridayThe13th”
Kevin Bacon Continues to Stay Busy After 44 Years
Though few actors from Friday the 13th went on to have lengthy careers in Hollywood, Kevin Bacon managed to capitalize on the success of the film, and continued to act until his big break came by way of 1984s Footloose. From there, he’d go on to flourish in the 1990s thanks to films like Tremors, Flatliners, Apollo 13, and Stir of Echoes.
Related Best Kevin Bacon Movies, Ranked These are the greatest Kevin Bacon films that should receive praise and admiration from everyone.
In the 2000s, he appeared in the likes of Clint Eastwood’s phenomenal drama, Mystic River, the vigilante thriller, Death Sentence, and the Ron Howard historical drama, Frost/Nixon. Bacon continued to stay relevant and keep busy into the 2010s and beyond, appearing in X-Men: First Class, Black Mass, They/Them, and 2023’s The Toxic Avenger.
Next up for the Hollywood sensation are two roles coming virtually back to back, as he’ll appear in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which hits Netflix on July 3, 2024, as well as Ti West’s hotly anticipated conclusion to his X trilogy, MaXXXine, which hits theaters just two days later on July 5, 2024. From there he’ll go on to appear in the Prime Video series, The Bondsman, which is produced by Blumhouse, and stars Bacon as a bounty hunter who comes back from the dead and finds his job now has a demonic element.
Friday the 13th Prequel Series Crystal Lake Undergoes Drastic Change
Cast Frank Volpe , Emily Meissner , Jackie Watkins , Karle Gwen
Seasons 1
While the Friday the 13th franchise went on to have a long life after the death of Kevin Bacon’s character, the series has laid dormant since Platinum Dune’s remake in 2009. Fans were given new hope when it was announced that Peacock had placed a straight-to-series order in October 2022 for the prequel series, Crystal Lake, with Bryan Fuller and A24 attached to produce. Plot details were kept under wraps, but just the mere thought of having more content set in the Jason Voorhees universe was enough to whet appetites in the fandom.
Unfortunately, that all came crashing down earlier this week, as a report from industry insider, Jeff Sneider, came out proclaiming that A24 had basically pulled the plug on the series. At the time, Sneider was unsure if that was a permanent decision or not, but it was enough to cause sinking hearts everywhere. Just a couple of days later, however, Bryan Fuller himself shed some light on the situation, saying that while the Crystal Lake project is very much alive at A24, he has exited the series as showrunner and producer due to creative differences.
“Adapting classic horror is something I have some experience with. These shows require a vision that elevates and transforms, as well as delivers what audiences have come to expect, which is an ambitious and risky endeavor. It requires people to take the leap with me. When it works, as with Hannibal, the results can be powerful for the storytellers and the audience.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work my co-showrunner Jim Danger Gray and I were able to accomplish with our brilliant writing staff despite the challenges we faced. For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material. We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy.”
Related The Friday the 13th Remake Failed to Reinvigorate the Horror Franchise – Here’s Why Despite debuting with impressive numbers, the Friday the 13th remake died a quick death at the box office & failed to revive the franchise.
For now, fans are holding their breaths hoping that a new showrunner can be found, and A24 will be able to move forward with Crystal Lake sooner rather than later. While the word is still out on whether it will feature everyone’s favorite hockey masked killer, the time for another entry in the Friday the 13th franchise, be it on the small or big screen, is long overdue.
Friday the 13th
is available to stream on MAX.
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