How Jason Voorhees Is Redefining Immersive Entertainment

DENVER, CO – August 20, 2026

A press release can tell you what’s happening, but it rarely explains the seismic shift it represents. This week, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (13FEG) and Horror, Inc. announced a partnership to launch a new, immersive Jason Voorhees attraction for the Halloween season. On the surface, it’s a headline that promises theme park-quality scares. But look closer, and you’ll see the blueprint for the future of franchise entertainment—a future where audiences are no longer just consumers, but collaborators in the stories they love.

The collaboration will bring the “Jason Universe” to life in nine cities through a haunted walkthrough, “Survive the Night,” and a groundbreaking interactive add-on, “Director’s Cut.” It’s a move that transforms a 46-year-old horror icon from a passive object of fear into a vehicle for active, participatory entertainment. This isn't just another haunted house; it's an object lesson in how to breathe new life into legacy intellectual property by handing the reins, however briefly, to the fans.

Beyond the Jump Scare: The Rise of Interactive Horror

For decades, the currency of haunted attractions has been the jump scare—a fleeting, visceral thrill. But the market is evolving. In an era saturated with on-demand content, the true value lies in creating unique, memorable experiences. The partnership between 13FEG and Horror, Inc. rises to this challenge by fundamentally altering the relationship between the monster and the audience.

The main walkthrough, “Jason Universe: Survive the Night,” promises a high-fidelity encounter with the legendary slasher. But the real innovation lies in the limited-capacity add-on, “Jason Universe: Director’s Cut.” Here, a small group of guests enters a rustic cabin and is given control. A screen lights up, presenting four buttons: Panic. Slash. Strike. Stalk. The choice they make dictates how Jason will attack his next victims in the maze. For a moment, the guests become directors, complicit in the horror unfolding around them.

This is more than a gimmick; it’s a profound shift in agency. It elevates the experience from a passive walkthrough to an act of co-creation. “This partnership came together through a mutual connection and evolved into conversations about how we could bring Jason Universe to life in a way fans have never experienced before,” said Chris Stafford, CEO & Founding Partner of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group. The solution they found was not just to build a better maze, but to give fans the opportunity to “choose their ending.” By doing so, they tap into a powerful human desire for influence and participation, creating a far more personal and lasting memory than any pre-programmed scare ever could.

The Architecture of a Universe

This attraction is not an isolated event. It is a critical, physical anchor in a much larger strategy: the formal establishment of the “Jason Universe.” Launched by Horror, Inc. in 2024, the initiative is a masterclass in modern IP management, designed to expand the Friday the 13th franchise into a multi-platform ecosystem. Much like cinematic universes from Marvel or DC, the Jason Universe aims to create interconnected touchpoints across various media, from film and television to gaming and live events.

The timing is deliberate. The attraction’s debut coincides with a major push to re-energize the franchise, including the highly anticipated A24 prequel series “Crystal Lake,” set to premiere on Peacock, and Jason’s integration into massively popular video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty. Each product serves to reinforce the others. Watching the “Crystal Lake” series provides backstory; playing as Jason in a game offers a power fantasy; visiting the haunted attraction provides a tangible, real-world encounter.

“We're constantly looking for fresh ways to bring Jason into the wild, whether that's in games, online or in real life,” explained Robbie Barsamian, Executive Vice President at Horror, Inc. The partnership with 13FEG, he noted, was an “easy call” to bring an in-maze VIP experience to life. This strategy demonstrates a keen understanding that modern fandom is not monolithic. It exists across a spectrum of engagement, and the most successful franchises are those that cater to every level, from the casual viewer to the hardcore fan willing to step inside the story itself.

The Experience Economy Meets a Pop Culture Icon

An ambitious creative vision is only as good as its execution. This is where Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group’s role becomes pivotal. As the world’s largest producer of theme park-quality haunted events, 13FEG brings the operational scale and logistical expertise necessary to realize such a project across nine major U.S. markets simultaneously.

The haunted attraction industry is no longer a niche, mom-and-pop affair. It’s a professionalized sector generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue, competing for consumer dollars against giants like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. In this competitive landscape, 13FEG has distinguished itself through a commitment to high production values and immersive storytelling. Their involvement de-risks the venture for Horror, Inc., ensuring the on-the-ground experience lives up to the iconic status of the Jason Voorhees character.

By deploying this first-of-its-kind licensed attraction in cities from Denver to Nashville, the partners are making a significant bet on the power of location-based entertainment. They are leveraging the tangible thrill of a physical experience to cut through the noise of digital media, creating a powerful marketing driver and revenue stream that complements the franchise's other ventures. It’s a symbiotic relationship where the strength of a global IP draws crowds, and the excellence of a live event operator solidifies the brand’s reputation for quality.

Why Jason Endures: A Legacy Reimagined

For over forty years, Jason Voorhees has been a silent, unstoppable force of nature, a campfire story that has haunted generations. His enduring popularity speaks to a primal fear, but it also presents a challenge: how does a legacy character remain relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape? The “Jason Universe” attraction offers a compelling answer.

Instead of simply preserving the character in the amber of nostalgia, Horror, Inc. and 13FEG are actively reimagining the audience’s relationship with him. The “Director’s Cut” experience, in particular, is a nod to a generation of fans who grew up with interactive video games and expect a degree of control over their entertainment. It understands that for many, the ultimate fantasy isn’t just to survive the monster, but to understand and even control it.

This evolution ensures that Jason Voorhees doesn’t just belong to the generation that first saw him on a grainy VHS tape. He is being introduced to a new audience on their own terms, through interactive, shareable, and deeply personal experiences. By allowing fans to step inside the narrative, this partnership guarantees that the legend of Crystal Lake will continue to be told, not just on screen, but in the real world, one terrified, empowered group at a time.