Jason Voorhees on a minor aspect of him. Jason made his first cinematic appearance in the original "Friday the 13th" on May 9, 1980. In this film, Jason is portrayed in the memories of his mother, Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), and as a hallucination of the film's protagonist, Alice (Adrienne King). Though the character makes no contemporary appearance onscreen, he propels the film's plot—Mrs. Voorhees, the cook at Camp Crystal Lake, seeks revenge for his death, which she blames on the camp counselors. Jason's second appearance was in the sequel, "Friday the 13th Part 2" (1981). Revealed to be alive, an adult
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday conceived by co-writer and director Marcus under Cunningham, producer/director of the first film. After low box-office sales for "Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan", Paramount Pictures sold the character rights of Jason Voorhees to New Line Cinema, who distributed "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday." Cunningham approved of the story co-written by first-time writer-director Marcus, who was hired to direct the project. "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" premiered in the United States on August 13, 1993, and grossed $15.9 million at the box office. Several film critics denounced Marcus's script and direction, and the film polarized fans of