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

Screenwriter Victor Miller, who crafted the narrative foundation for the modern slasher genre with the 1980 independent horror hit *Friday the 13th*, died Monday in Alameda, California. He was 86.

His son, Ian, confirmed his death to Variety.

Miller's screenplay for the low-budget feature introduced audiences to the tragic lore of Camp Crystal Lake, centering on grieving mother Pamela Voorhees rather than the hockey-masked slasher who would dominate later sequels. Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the film turned a sub-$1 million production budget into nearly $60 million in worldwide box office revenue, establishing a summer camp horror template that studios spent the next decade attempting to replicate.

The original picture spawned an expansive media franchise spanning eleven subsequent films, crossover titles, video games and extensive merchandising. Miller's creative contribution established the core mythos of Jason Voorhees, whose brief appearance in the final moments of the 1980 film became one of the most recognizable jump scares in cinematic history.

Beyond feature filmmaking, Miller sustained a long and productive career in network television. He worked extensively in daytime drama, writing for major soap operas including *Guiding Light*, *One Life to Live*, *Another World* and *All My Children*, securing multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for his work.

Miller also played a consequential role in industry labor and intellectual property history. His protracted legal campaign to reclaim the domestic copyright to his original *Friday the 13th* screenplay served as a landmark test of Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act, reaffirming the ability of screenwriters to terminate studio copyright transfers on legacy work.