Victor Miller, 'Friday the 13th' Screenwriter, Dies at 86

Victor Miller, the screenwriter who established the narrative foundation of the enduring *Friday the 13th* horror franchise, has died. He was 86 years old.

Miller passed away on Monday, August 30, according to a confirmation from his son Ian Miller reported by Deadline. An exact cause of death was not immediately made public.

In a statement shared to Instagram and cited by Deadline, his son confirmed the loss, writing: "Yesterday my father, Victor Miller, went to his final reward."

Miller wrote the screenplay for the original 1980 independent feature directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Produced on a lean budget, the slasher classic generated nearly $60 million worldwide at the box office and established the Camp Crystal Lake lore that would define the modern horror genre.

Beyond shaping the tragic origins of Jason Voorhees, Miller worked extensively across daytime television, earning multiple Daytime Emmy Awards throughout his career for his writing on soap operas including *All My Children* and *One Life to Live*.

## IP Legacy

The original 1980 film spawned one of the most lucrative intellectual properties in horror cinema, leading to eleven follow-up features, video games, and expansive licensing campaigns. Miller's work also became a focal point in copyright law in recent years, serving as a landmark case study for Section 203 copyright termination disputes over legacy film franchises.