Jason Voorhees is back.
“Sweet Revenge” is being described as a “vignette.” Produced by Horror Inc. and the newly formed Jason Universe, along with Angry Orchard Cider, the short was directed by Mike P. Nelson and features stuntman Schuyler White as the immortal killing machine. It’s the first time the beloved character, who first appeared as a villain in “Friday the 13th Part 2” (back in 1981), has been seen on screen since 2009’s “Friday the 13th” remake. Since then, the character has been tangled up in rights issues and legal drama. But what’s important is that he’s back.
You can watch the vignette, featuring the new Jason look, designed by effects legend Greg Nicotero, below.
And below, we chatted with Nelson, the writer/director, final girl Ally Ioannides and costume designer Christianne Hedtke.
Nelson was the man tasked with bringing Jason back to life for “Sweet Revenge” (while also selling cases of sweet, sweet hard cider). Nelson has directed “The Domestics” and the 2021 remake of “Wrong Turn,” as well as contributing to “V/H/S 85,” so his horror pedigree is well established. But entering the world of “Friday the 13th” is a completely different echelon.
This is the first new piece of Jason-related filmed material since the 2009 remake – what were the edicts from on high about what needed to be included? And what were things that you wanted to make sure were in there?
Nelson: There were not a whole lot of rules up front which made it so intriguing. Horror Inc. really wanted to hear fresh ideas from filmmakers and I was lucky enough to get picked to share mine! The obvious edicts were great kills, bring Jason back in full force and tell a good story. They didn’t just want a bunch of kills. Lucky for them story and characters are everything for me so it started with a solid new take with new characters and a twist … Eve. Could someone else undergo the same fate as Jason and be brought back to enact revenge? Filling it in with glorious Jason kills was the cherry!
What entries in the franchise were touchstones? Obviously there’s some big Tommy Jarvis energy coming from our main character?
1-4 were the canon. “The Final Chapter” is the definitive Jason movie in my opinion. It embodied ’80s horror in every way. And it has two of my favorite kills, Doug in the shower and the hippie banana squeeze kill. Those kills left an imprint on my brain I could never shake. I’ll also say we show a little love for part VII as well. Tina was awesome and Jason was just relentless.
On top of everything else, this is also a commercial for Angry Orchard. How did you balance all of these demands into a cohesive narrative?
For me the movie was always first. And I think everyone wanted that. If the film worked it was going to be good for everyone. There were times, we had to shoot a little shot of a can or have our actors do an alt take with some product. Angry Orchard was incredibly supportive. I give huge props to Chad Villella, our producer for helping me balance both the ad side and film side. Had not done anything quite like this and he always helped keep the creative king!
What were the other edicts you had to abide by? Obviously the franchise has been tangled up in issues so I’m curious what was fair game and what wasn’t.
There were not so many guardrails as there was a focus to make sure we gave Jason the proper treatment and comeback. Make him look really good! And let’s be honest, that was the fun part!!
You get to unveil the new Jason Universe design of Jason. What was that like? No pressure!
It was cool knowing we were working with Nicotero’s design. I have not met the guy yet but still having that one degree was definitely a pinch-me moment. The main thing was to shoot Jason the way you want to see him. My DP Nick Junkersfeld and I had a blast figuring out what made Jason look bad ass and mean and like the older movies. Every time we felt like we nailed it we just giggled like kids. It was a lot of fun.
What was it like to have Jason on set for the first time? You hear stories like Darth Vader being on stage.
I remember when Schuyler stepped out of the cabin all done up for the first time. The crew had not seen him yet, and I got to introduce him to everyone and the whole crew just exploded in applause. It was everyone’s first time being a part of a “Friday the 13th” film and you could feel it. Everyone was bubbling. It was a moment for sure. And then we got to watch him kill some people and that was great. Jason was forbidden to me growing up so to play in his world was gold!
Would you like to return to the Jason Universe sandbox?
If they’ll have me, I would be back in a heartbeat! I have some fun ideas I’d like to explore … even just working on this 13-minute piece has been a bucket list kinda thing. Growing up I made so many little Jason rip off movies with friends that to get here feels very full circle. Extremely grateful to have this chance and that Horror Inc. took a chance on me and my messed-up brain.
Ioannides is no stranger to the world of genre filmmaking, having starred in “Into the Badlands” and appearing in two episodes of “Elementary.” She also starred in a segment of “V/H/S 99.” In “Sweet Revenge,” she gets to face off against Jason Voorhees and while her ultimate fate has yet to be revealed, it feels like she will hold her own against one of the most iconic slashers of all time.
What was your relationship with the franchise before signing on?
Ioannides: I’ve always been a fan of slashers, so of course I knew about “Friday the 13th,” but I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard. Once I got the offer, I went back and rewatched the ‘80s films. With such a short prep time, I wanted to really immerse myself in what made those movies so iconic.
Your character has some distinct Tommy Jarvis energy – was wondering if this was a performance from the series you looked at specifically?
Not really. There are a few Easter eggs in Eve’s costume, but performance-wise I was focused on telling the story Mike had written and building something new. Mike knows the franchise inside and out, so I trusted him completely on set. I’ve also spent a lot of my career in genre tv and film and I’m a horror fan, so in a way, I think I’ve been unknowingly preparing to play Eve for years.
What was it like being on set with Jason? Did you feel the weight of it being the character’s first time on screen since 2009?
The first time Schuyler came out in full makeup and costume, I happened to be in the makeup cabin. The energy completely shifted—everyone went quiet. Then Mike walked in and introduced him to the crew, and it felt like we were witnessing something special. From that moment on, I just had a blast. Getting yanked into the lake from the canoe was a highlight. It’s such an iconic moment in horror, and getting to recreate it was surreal.
At the end of the short you are about to face off against Jason – what do you think the next few minutes after the short cuts to black are?
I like to imagine there’s a strange sort of kinship between Eve and Jason. Not that they would necessarily be friends, but there’s a mutual recognition there. Jason has never encountered someone with a similar past, and Eve is still coming to terms with her own transformation. Seeing what happens between them would be fascinating.
Hedtke, the costume designer clearly had a great time bringing the world of “Friday the 13th” back to life in “Sweet Revenge,” and talks us through some of the Easter eggs scattered throughout.
What was your approach to the costumes in the short? Were there guiding principles?
Hedtke: Early on in the planning, Mike and our producer, Chad, wanted every single costume to be a nod from the early films of the franchise, even down to the wardrobe on the dead bodies who we might only see for a moment. I took that inspiration and ran with it, and challenged myself to only use looks from the original 1980 film. The goal was to evoke a nostalgic, vintage feel while making the costumes feel both contemporary and timeless.
We have been told that there are a number of Easter eggs in the costumes – what can you share about that? Do you have a favorite that you want to point out?
Since our heroine, Eve, shares a name with the “first woman,” I based her look on the first woman killed in the franchise – “Annie.” But every costume is an Easter egg, honestly. My favorites are the looks for the pair we dubbed the “Clothesline Couple” – they were based on the characters “Marcie” and “Jack” from the original film. I knew this couple would be in swimsuits, but I didn’t want to do another triangle bikini. I realized Marcie was killed while wearing white panties and pink tee shirt, so I figured why not find those components in two pieces? I mixed and matched until I found a swimsuit that perfectly matches the look Marcie is murdered in. And earlier in the film, Kevin Bacon who plays Jack is wearing a blue Speedo with yellow stripes. A Speedo would have been pretty distracting in our film, so I added yellow panels to blue swim trunks to update the look. I think it was a success!
What was it like costuming Jason Voorhees?
It was dirty! Jason was the only costume that was pre-designed (by the legendary Greg Nicotero) so it was up to me to execute the look. Once we settled on wardrobe that matched Greg’s vision, it was hours and hours of distressing, dying and aging the costumes, and we needed five duplicates for continuity and effects. It was quite labor-intensive – I had to use power tools to get the right level of distress. I wanted him to look wet and grimy, like he was perennially emerging from some hellish lake, so I covered his bottom half in a mixture of vegetable glycerin and cinnamon. He looked terrifying but he smelled lovely. Schuyler (who plays Jason) is 6’5” and when he first put on the whole look I actually hid behind some other crew members. It was quite intimidating!
Can you talk about maintaining the classic “Friday the 13th” feel while also making it feel contemporary?
Luckily, the look of the original film feels pretty timeless – plaid button-downs, cut-off jean shorts and triangle bikini tops still scream summer. I wanted to maintain the motif of using primary colors, which really pop against the green of the woods. I think we as a collective have fallen in love with the style of the late ’70s and early ’80s, and many brands are actively making clothes as an homage to those styles. So many looks that were original in 1980 are being reissued today. “Annie’s” Nike Cortez sneakers were reissued this year in the exact same colorway. Likewise, Dana was styled after “Brenda” of the original film – Brenda wore the OG Adidas Sambas so that was a gimme. I put Jason in brown Wranglers in the original Cowboy cut which were first issued in 1947. I loved the idea that Jason Voorhees, who drowned in the 1950s, would have had access to this exact style.
