In answer to a Twitter thread from last night between Robert Fure, Brett Gallman, Mike Breiburg, Fred Topel, and Tyler Foster…
Ignore the fact that Jason X opened at 6.8 million and was considered a bomb (that’s 1.8 million more than Drive Angry for the kids keeping score). When I started working on it I always had delusions of grandeur that we’d shoot two follow ups. Why two? Well, before Jason X was just a squirt in daddy’s pants, much of the time spent at Cunningham Films was spent working on versions of Freddy Vs. Jason that would never see the inside of a theater. One of the best scripts, in my opinion, derailed after SCREAM opened at 6.3 million (that’s 1.3 million more than Drive Angry) but grew to 100 domestic. Suddenly FvsJ HAD to be self aware like SCREAM. Those self aware drafts never worked but SCREAM had truly changed the face of horror. AND rumors started floating around that Kevin had always designed SCREAM as a three picture story. I wondered if that was BS but either way it was a brilliant way to create hype and anticipation for two more movies. So, I figured why not do the same with Jason X?
The opening of Jason X was supposed to take place sometime after FvsJ. At least in my mind the plan was to never name a date of Jason’s freezing so that the present day storyline (FvsJ, FvsJ 2, etc.) could continue without JX getting in the way.
At the end of JX, Uber Jason’s remains would end up on Earth II.
In JXI he would be brought back in a lab from DNA that survived reentry. Or magic. Or religion. Or lightning. What? Those too far fetched? The bulk of the story would take place on Earth II in a Bladerunner city (that was the original take by the way but deemed too expensive to shoot). Unable to kill the varmint who can’t be killed, Earth II survivors send him back in time to kill his former self thus wiping his existence from History. What? Too far fetched? The object of JXI wasn’t to see that plan fulfilled, but to simply get him into the worm hole. Thus, someone eles… sometime eles’s problem.
JXII would open on a young, pregnant but barely showing Pam… as Uber drops from a wormhole. Or portal. Or Tardis. But Uber stalking young Pamela “Conner” was considered a bit too Terminator so a plan B was created.
JXII would open in the past allowing us to meet past Rowan just before the military action that would lead to the secret underground base at the opening of Jason X. Rowan goes ahead to the lab to prepare. But then Jason spanks the military. A complete and utter wipeout. The boys in camo never had a chance. As Jason is just about to kill Hot Scientist girl, Uber Jason drops from a worm hole… or portal or Tardis. Run, kill, chop, slash. Hot Scientist figures out Uber is from the future because she’s like a scientist and stuff. If Uber Jason kills past Jason then metal version vanishes and both are gone. Of course, Uber Jason does not kill past Jason. Other way around. Past Jason barely survies the final fight leaving him vulnerable to the military. Movie would end with the military taking advantage and capturing Jason, locking him in chains and taking him the the secret underground facility where Rowan prepares to run tests on him. Circle of life, complete.
Are there holes? Sure. Could they be fixed? Sure. Am I gonna fix them? Nah. There’s no money in it. :)
But if I were asked tomorrow would I do it as mapped out above? No. Lots of things I’d do differently now. Brian Collins wondered in his JX review at Horror Movie A Day, why we didn’t tie Jason’s regeneration to the regeneration technology used in the future. It’s both a brilliant idea and a no brainer but we never thought of it. So if we were gonna do a follow up today there are lots of considerations created by ten years later. BUT that’s not the point of this. The point is, this is what I was thinking back in 1999: sequel on Earth II, Finale back in time on Crystal Lake.
As for now though, I’d be happy with a blu-ray. And a screening at the New Bev. :)