Friday the 13th Screenwriter Victor Miller Dies at 86

Victor Miller, the screenwriter whose original Friday the 13th script helped launch one of horror cinema’s most durable franchises, has died at 86. His son Ian confirmed that Miller died Monday in Alameda, California. A cause of death was not disclosed.

In a family tribute, Ian remembered his father as a gifted storyteller with a deep love of photography and music. He said a celebration of Miller’s life is planned for November on Friday the 13th, a fitting nod to the film that made his name familiar to generations of horror fans.

The story that built Camp Crystal Lake

Released in 1980 and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, Friday the 13th turned an isolated summer camp into a defining slasher setting. Miller later explained that the project began with a desire to capture some of the structural fear that made John Carpenter’s Halloween so effective: young people cut off from adult help and confronted by an evil rooted in the past.

Miller’s screenplay centered the original film on Pamela Voorhees and the death of her son, Jason. Although he did not write the many sequels, those characters became the foundation for a franchise that expanded across 12 films and transformed Jason into one of horror’s most recognizable figures.

A wider career in film and daytime television

Beyond Camp Crystal Lake, Miller built a long television career. He wrote for One Life to Live, All My Children, Guiding Light, Another World and General Hospital. His work with the All My Children writing team contributed to three Daytime Emmy wins.

His other screen credits ranged from early collaborations with Cunningham to later independent projects. Colleagues remembered him not only for a landmark horror script but also as a generous mentor who shared his time and experience with other filmmakers.

Miller is survived by his wife, Tina Thurston Miller, his sons Ian and Josh, and a grandson. His death arrives as the world he helped create continues to evolve on screen, demonstrating how one sharply conceived summer-camp nightmare became a lasting part of popular culture.