Jason Voorhees is back on the screen in an official capacity for the first time in 16 years, with the Jason Universe team unleashing the 13-minute short film Sweet Revenge tonight.
What is Sweet Revenge, you ask? Well, it’s been described as a “vignette” by the team but it’s really a full-on short film that serves to introduce the new Jason Universe branding as well as the fresh new redesign for the Jason Voorhees character. It’s also part of a larger partnership between Jason Universe and Angry Orchard Hard Cider, with special Jason Universe-branded Angry Orchard beverages and 12-packs being released in stores this Halloween season.
But while many fans (myself included) feared that Sweet Revenge would merely be a commercial for Angry Orchard – it was presented as being sponsored by the company, which it is – the reality is that it plays out like a fan film with surprisingly minimal product placement. But it’s not a fan film, of course, as this short was made by the actual rights holders.
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Therein lies the key difference between Sweet Revenge and any other Jason Voorhees/Friday the 13th film projects you’ve seen pop up in the past 16 years. The franchise’s long-standing legal troubles have finally been cleared, and this marks the iconic slasher’s first OFFICIAL appearance on screen since the 2009 remake of the original horror classic Friday the 13th.
Actor and stuntman Schuyler White wears the iconic hockey mask in director Mike P. Nelson’s (Silent Night, Deadly Night) short film Sweet Revenge, and you can watch the project in its entirety down below. You might be surprised by how good this bizarre little marketing tie-in turned out to be, and you might also be surprised by how good Jason looks in it.
Also keep in mind that while this is no doubt a strange way to reintroduce Jason after all these years, the horror icon will also be slashing back into our lives very soon with the A24 and Peacock series “Crystal Lake,” a prequel to the original movie. That project is filming right now.
Comment below with your thoughts on Sweet Revenge after you watch it.
