Friday the 13th movie

This 1989 file photo released by Paramount shows Jason Voorhees in a scene from "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason takes Manhattan."

(Paramount Pictures | The Associated Press)

Happy Friday the 13th! Of course, it's not so happy if you suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia, or an irrational fear of the unlucky date. But if you're a fan of slasher flicks, then you know it's Jason Voorhees' birthday.

"Friday the 13th" was a surprise box office hit in 1980. Set at the fictional Camp Crystal Lake, a summer camp that closed because a child (Jason) drowned when counselors weren't watching him, it started as a revenge film and then evolved into a franchise about a silent serial killer wearing a hockey goalie mask.

There have been twelve "Friday the 13th" movies to date, including "Part II" (1981), "Part III" (1982), "Part IV: The Final Chapter" (1984), "Part V: A New Beginning" (1985), "Part VI: Jason Lives" (1986), "Part VII: The New Blood" (1988), "Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan" (1989), "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" (1993), "Jason X" (2002), "Freddy vs. Jason" (2003) and a "Friday the 13th" reboot in 2009.

Here are 13 things fun facts about the horror classic and its sequels:

1. Jason wasn't the original killer

Spoiler alert from 1980 (or 1996 if you saw Drew Barrymore's scene in "Scream") -- Mrs. Voorhees (played by Betsy Palmer) was the original killer. Haunted by her son's drowning, she went on a revenge spree when Camp Crystal Lake reopened. Her story was explored more in the books, including a prequel comic called "Friday the 13th: Pamela's Tale."

2. Jason didn't have a hockey mask until the third movie

Jason, originally played by Ari Lehman, was just a boy in "Friday the 13th." In "Part II" he wore a sack on his head. He didn't pick up the now trademark hockey mask until "Part III," though it was originally supposed to be a baseball umpire mask. Rumor has it, the ump mask would require too much makeup for Jason's deformed face and a hockey mask was cheaper, easier, and (let's face it) scarier.

3. Not every movie takes place on Friday the 13th

Yes, the first two movies take place on the unlucky date, but "Part III" starts immediately after "Part II," which would be Saturday the 14th. "Part IV" (the not-so-final "Final Chapter") is the two days after: Sunday the 15th and Monday the 16th. Later movies all drop references to Friday the 13th, but it's not always clear that they're happening on those "holidays."

4. Josh Voorhees

According to

Shortlist

, Jason was originally named Josh Voorhees and the first film was going to be called "Long Night at Camp Blood." Luckily, writer Victor Miller changed the name because Josh sounded too nice -- and "Josh Takes Manhattan" just doesn't have the right ring to it.

5. Ki, ki, ki; ma ma ma

According to IMDb, composer Harry Manfredini's film score is meant to sound like young Jason's voice saying "kill, kill, kill; mom, mom, mom," inspiring her to go on a killing spree. Manfredini created the effect by speaking the syllables "ki" and "ma" into a microphone running through a delay effect.

6. High body count

According to

IMDB

, Jason has slaughtered 167 people over the course of 12 movies. The least deadly film was 1981's "Friday the 13th Part 2," killing 10 people -- including impaling a couple having sex with the same spear -- and the highest body count was 28 in the ridiculously over the top "Jason X" (a.k.a. "Jason in space").

7. "Friday the 13th" TV series

While 12 movies may seem a bit much, there was also a "Friday the 13th" TV series in the late '80s -- though it didn't have Jason and instead revolved around a spooky antique shop.

Deadline

reported last year a new television show is in the works that would include the iconic slasher, with original film director Sean S. Cunningham to executive produce. The new series would return to Crystal Lake in a modern setting, with flashbacks to Voorhees and his disturbed family.

8. Who's Jason?

13 different actors have played Jason Voorhees. Corey Feldman, despite some Internet rumors, was not one of them though he did appear in "The Final Chapter." Some portrayed the silent serial killer in flashbacks and/or as a child, but the only actor who took on the role more than once was Kane Hodder, in four films: "Part VII: The New Blood," "Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan," "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" and "Jason X." Rumor has it the franchise used different Jasons for the first six films because it's cheaper for sequels if the "star" doesn't return.

9. Sally Field was almost in the original movie

Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field auditioned for the role of Alice, but turned it down. The part ended up going to Adrienne King, who now sells "Friday the 13th"-themed wines called

Crystal Lake Wines

.

10. One degree of Kevin Bacon

"Friday the 13th" was Kevin Bacon's first film as a leading actor. He previously appeared in "Animal House." Anyone who appeared in the original "F13" movie is officially one degree of separation from Bacon.

11. Freddy appeared in two "Friday the 13th" movies

The campy popcorn mashup "Freddy vs. Jason" finally combined "Friday the 13th" with "

A Nightmare on Elm Street

" after decades of development, but Krueger appeared in a second film. Freddy's arm and glove with knife fingers -- portrayed by Hodder -- can be seen grabbing Jason's mask at the end of 1993's "Jason Goes to Hell," supposedly pulling him down to hell for an epic showdown (though it didn't come until 15 years later). According to

WhatCulture

, Voorhees almost appeared in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" TV series in 1987, too, in a flashback where the still-living child molester would abuse young Jason.

12. Box office hit

Moviegoers love to complain about how many sequels and remakes there are, but if a franchise makes money then studios will keep doing them to death. (Pun intended.) None of the Jason flicks were as profitable as the first "Friday the 13th," though, making $39 million on a budget of just $550,000.

13. Another remake is coming next year

A new movie was scheduled for 2015, but despite having three Friday the 13th dates on the calendar it got moved to May 13, 2016. (Yes, that's a Friday.)

SlashFilm

reports Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg wrote the script, rumored to be a found-footage style film, but no director or cast has been announced. If it gets delayed again, the next Friday the 13th is in January 2017.