10 Movies Delayed To "Get It Right" (That Still Got It Wrong)

Way back in the mid-eighties, the slasher ruled the cineplex as far as horror fans were concerned. Sure, gory splatter flicks were gaining ground thanks to the likes of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Cronenberg’s The Fly remake, and Brian Yuzna’s… er, everything, but the low budget required by slashers and their exploitable format (new teen victims, same beloved villain) meant that they were the most reliable cash cow subgenre for studios until found footage reared its head.

In this cinematic heyday for gory slashers, Freddy and Jason were the twin titans, and most fans were desperate to see the pair face off. As such Sean S Cunningham, the producer behind the Friday the 13th series, began attempting to make the crossover happen—in 1987. What followed was over a decade and a half of in-fighting over rights, studio swaps, and halted attempts at putting the film together, with countless reboots ranging from Wes Craven’s New Nightmare to Jason X existing to keep the flagging franchises alive long enough for an epic showdown.

Then 2003 finally saw the release of Bride of Chucky helmer Ronny Yu’s long-awaited Freddy Vs Jason, which was… Kind of alright? Nothing special, a passable slasher which failed to take advantage of either titular horror icon and ultimately left audiences disappointed.