Friday the 13th is a franchise.
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 . While the franchise was owned by Paramount , four films were adapted into novels , with Friday the 13th Part III adapted by two separate authors . 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 .