Despite creating several modern horror franchises himself, through his Blumhouse Productions studio, Jason Blum has recently shed light on some of his efforts to acquire further classic franchises.
As is well known, Blum struck a deal with Miramax and Trancas Films to produce a new chapter of the Halloween series. This was enormously successful and resulted in a full trilogy of films, concluding with 2022’s Halloween Ends.
Blum first elaborated on whether or not Blumhouse was set to produce any more Halloween entries, given that collectively, they netted over $500 million at the box-office:
“We don’t own the rights anymore. I had a three-picture deal. But I would do another Halloween movie.”
Next, Blum broached the topic of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre franchise, which was recently the subject of a heated bidding war. Although no official announcement has been made, A24 is rumoured to have won the rights to produce new content. However, without an official confirmation, is it possible Blumhouse will win out?
“We were in the mix. The deal isn’t closed, but we probably won’t get it.”
So, with Halloween and Chain Saw off the table for now, what other classic slasher franchises does Blum long to acquire?
“Friday the 13th and Freddy Krueger, those are my two white whales I will never give up on.”
Interesting… However, with Friday the 13th now free of rights issues and operating under the Jason Universe banner alongside A24, it seems unlikely Blumhouse will snare the series.
But what about A Nightmare on Elm Street? As is well documented, Nightmare hasn’t reached the big screen in fifteen years. In that time New Line Cinema has folded into Warner Bros., with the majority if the Nightmare rights reverting back to the Wes Craven Estate. Last we heard, the estate was “fielding pitches” from writers and studios in hopes of reviving the series.
So, could Blumhouse be the new home of Freddy Krueger in the near future? And will they eventually acquire any of the above mentioned in the future? We’ll keep a look out for updates, as Blum certainly sounds like he’s dropping quite heavy hints.
