Claim: Friday the 13th's main character is the villain Jason Voorhees.

Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films , a television show , novels , comic books , video games , and tie‑in merchandise , as of 2017 . The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees , who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff . Decades later , the lake is rumored to be `` cursed '' and is the setting for a series of mass murders . Jason is featured in all of the films , as either the killer or the motivation for the killings . The original film was written by Victor Miller and was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham . The films have grossed over $ 464 million at the box-office worldwide .   The first film was created to cash in on the success of Halloween -LRB- 1978 -RRB- , and its own success led Paramount Pictures to purchase the full licensing rights to Friday the 13th . Frank Mancuso , Jr. , a producer of the films , also developed the television show Friday the 13th : The Series after Paramount released Jason Lives . The television series was not connected to the franchise by any character or setting , but was created based on the idea of `` bad luck and curses '' , which the film series symbolized . While the franchise was owned by Paramount , four films were adapted into novels , with Friday the 13th Part III adapted by two separate authors . When the franchise was sold to New Line Cinema , Cunningham returned as a producer to oversee two additional films , in addition to a crossover film with character Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street film series . Under New Line Cinema , thirteen novellas and various comic book series featuring Jason were published .   Although the films were not popular with critics , Friday the 13th is considered one of the most successful media franchises in America -- not only for the success of the films , but also because of the extensive merchandising and repeated references to the series in popular culture . The franchise 's popularity has generated a fanbase who have created their own Friday the 13th films , fashioned replica Jason Voorhees costumes , and tattooed their bodies with Friday the 13th artwork . Jason 's hockey mask has become one of the most recognizable images in horror and popular culture .