In Theaters 23 Years Ago, The Biggest Horror Franchises Finally Crossed Over After Decades (& We Still Want More)

Movie crossovers always generate a very specific kind of hype, especially when they aim to answer the age-old question, “Who would win in a fight?” 23 years ago, on August 15th, 2003, one of the most anticipated battles finally took place on the big screen. That fight was between two of horror’s biggest icons: Freddy Krueger of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th.

Freddy vs. Jason arrived following decades of anticipation; after the crossover was first teased at the end of Jason Goes to Hell, a series of script and director changes put Freddy vs. Jason in development hell. When it finally got made, the film gave fans what they wanted: a bloody battle between two iconic slashers. Freddy vs. Jason was a massive success, earning over $117 million at the box office. But despite its success, Freddy vs. Jason would never see a cinematic sequel. 23 years later, fans would more than welcome a rematch between the two killers — and even more horror villains they could battle – if only copyright laws wouldn’t get in the way.

Freddy vs. Jason Delivered On Its Premise

At the end of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, the reborn Jason Voorhees is dragged to hell by demons, leaving behind only his mask. As it lies there in the dirt, a familiar bladed-glove emerges, pulling it down. For fans watching at the time, it was their first tease of a long-awaited crossover between Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. They would have to keep waiting, however, for over a decade, as Freddy vs. Jason got shuffled between different scripts and different visions. New Line Cinema would ultimately settle on director Ronny Yu (known for Bride of Chucky)at the helm.

Freddy vs. Jason sees Freddy Krueger recruiting Jason to kill teens in Springwood, in the hopes it will make them fear him again. The plan works, until Jason kills so many that Freddy starts to get jealous, leading to them fighting it out. All things considered, it’s a fun premise, as well as a creative way to get the two slasher villains to interact. When Freddy and Jason do fight, it’s spectacular and bloody. Yu fills scenes like Freddy’s dreamscape with colorful reds, greens, and blues, making it just as fun to watch for the visuals.

Of course, Freddy vs. Jason is far from a perfect film. A large chunk of it is dedicated to a group of teens trying to stop Freddy, and none of them are particularly interesting. Couple that with some not-so-great acting and questionable CGI, and the film reeks of 2003. It even has Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland in a lead role. That being said, if you came purely for the spectacle, Freddy vs. Jason more than delivers. Too bad it would be the last time these franchises would meet onscreen.

Freddy & Jason Never Fought Again (At Least Not Onscreen)

Even before Freddy vs. Jason came out, New Line Cinema had plans for a sequel. The studio even wanted the film to end with a teaser featuring Hellraiser‘s Pinhead. He wouldn’t be the only one, however, as the success of Freddy vs. Jason led to plans for Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, a crossover with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise. Unfortunately, the idea would never happen — at least not on the big screen.

In 2007, Wildstorm and Dynamite Entertainment published Freddy vs Jason vs Ash, a six-issue comic series adapting the scrapped sequel. For years, it has felt like comics are the only medium that allows for horror characters to crossover – for instance, the 1995 crossover comic Jason vs. Leatherface. And maybe that’s because comics are subject to fewer restrictions than movies.

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash proved successful enough to earn itself a follow-up in 2009, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: The Nightmare Warriors, which brought back several characters from each of the three franchises’ histories. But for the fans who are waiting to see the two slashers duke it out again in a movie, that may never happen.

Horror Needs More Crossovers

Freddy vs. Jason wouldn’t be the first time two horror franchises would crossover. Looking to the past, it was Universal who first toyed with the idea, bringing their iconic monsters together, starting with 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. It wouldn’t be the last time, either. Just a year after Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator hit theaters; in 2021, Godzilla would face off against King Kong on the big screen.

Films like these always get people talking; if you have one iconic character battling the other, people are going to take sides. Why then, if films like Freddy vs. Jason are such moneymakers, do we have such a lack of horror crossovers? The answer, as it often does, lies in copyright. It was copyright issues that sank the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash movie, and copyright that left Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street in limbo for years.

But Freddy and Jason wouldn’t be the only horror icons to suffer. Over the decades, we’ve lost our chance at crossovers between Pinhead and Michael Myers, and Leprechaun and Candyman. We can only hope that someday these iconic characters will be allowed to meet, but for now, 23 years later, Freddy vs. Jason stands as much of an example of what could have been as it does a fun horror crossover.