It's hard to get into the nuance of
#Fridaythe13th here on X because a majority of users have written off all of the original films as garbage.
New fans, and longtime fans who never cared one way or another about the story, are overlooking a series of amazing elements the original Paramount era series has to offer.
Imagine if you will a project that features the following:
Jason from Parts 6-8: Undead, unstoppable, destined to walk the earth until the end of time as a part of a supernatural death curse.
This is the version most people think of when they think of Jason. Bending people in half. Slamming sleeping bags into trees. Punching people's heads off.
This is Jason at his most powerful, but 2/3 of his entries are bogged down by bad plots / bts production woes.
No fan is saying we want those films back, but we'll take THAT Jason any day.
Atmosphere / Setting / Tone from Parts 1,2, & 4: Camp setting, dark nights, rain, thunder and lightning. Gritty camera work, stalking scenes, long and exciting chase sequences.
These films should fill audience members with anxiety and dread. You never know when Jason is going to strike and when he does, it's bloody chaos.
Characters from Part 1, 2, & 4: Stories built around characters who are isolated and vulnerable. Characters with things to do, whether personal motivations, or actual tasks that involve rebuilding the camp, becoming counselors, or even just trying to get laid.
Young characters that think they are invincible, who are too busy focused on their own selfish desires, they don't sense their impending doom.
Backstory from Part 1*: Jason drowned, Pamela killed for revenge, her death brings him back.
*Although Part 1 treats Jason jumping out of the lake as a dream, this is the moment Jason was truly born in the hearts and minds of horror fans.
This is THE MOMENT Friday the 13th went from stand-alone to franchise.
After watching that moment, we don't need any more explanation. This is the moment he returned. Who cares how he grows, he's super natural. Anything is possible.
Conclusion:
If you put these specific elements together under one through line, you have the perfect Friday formula. One fans from the past will recognize, and new fans would be just as amenable to as the series.
No Necronomicon or borrowing from other franchises. No Space travel or special healing powers. No pseudo-science based backstories. No evil corporation sub-plots.
Just a simple story about revenge and a special bond between mother and son that transcends death itself.
Even if you love the new series and accept it as another off shoot, deep down, in your dark heart of hearts, you know the Friday project you are longing for has yet to get the studio treatment.
And now, who knows how long it will be before fans longing for that version will ever get a chance to see it.