Paramount Pictures' "Friday the 13th" reboot sequel's release date has been moved yet again from May 13, 2016 to Jan. 13, 2017. The studio's other horror film "Rings" has also been rescheduled for release from Nov. 13, 2015 to April 1, 2016.
It will be recalled that the latest "Friday the 13th" installment was originally slated for release on March 13, 2015 but was later pushed to Nov. 13, 2015. It was then rescheduled for a May 2016 release but was eventually changed to January 2017, wrote Slash Film.
According to A.V. Club, Paramount Pictures chose the new release date for the slasher film so that people can watch it on an actual Friday the 13th. The new release date places "Friday the 13th" in competition against Ron Howard's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower," Gerard Butler's thriller "Geostorm," and a "Power Rangers" film remake.
The upcoming "Friday the 13th" movie is the 13th installment of the popular American horror franchise, which was first launched in 1980. It comes next to Marcus Nispel's "Friday the 13th" reboot in 2009. Earlier reports said that the 2017 film is not a sequel to the last installment, which earned $100 million worldwide.
"Friday the 13th" reportedly will employ found-footage techniques to explain why the main character, Jason Voorhees, cannot be killed.
Meanwhile, Paramount Picture's "Rings," initially titled "The Ring 3D," has been slated for release on April Fool's Day in 2016. Directed by F. Javier Gutierrez, "Rings" is the continuation of the 2005 film, "The Ring Two." It is the third installment in the American psychological horror franchise based on the Japanese horror flick, "Ringu."
If it really settles into an April 1, 2016 slot, "Rings" will face a tight competition against Open Road's "Collide," A24's suspense thriller "Green Room," and 20th Century Fox's sports film "Eddie the Eagle" starring Hugh Jackman.
According to reports, the third installment of the hit horror series will bring back Aidan Keller, the son of Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts). Matilda Lutz and Alex Roe ("Sniper: Legacy") will play the roles of the movie's protagonists. Other cast members include Aimee Teegarden ("Friday Night Lights"), Johnny Galecki ("Big Bang Theory"), and Laura Wiggins.
