Victor Miller, the screenwriter behind the 1980 horror classic "Friday the 13th," died on Monday in Alameda, California, at the age of 86. His death was confirmed to Variety by his son, Ian.
Miller was born in New Orleans in 1940. He is survived by his wife, Tina Thurston Miller, and his two sons, Ian and Josh.
'Friday the 13th' and Its Influence
Released in 1980, "Friday the 13th" is widely considered a seminal installment in the horror canon, popularizing the summer camp setting and themes of teenage debauchery that remain essential tropes of the slasher genre. In a recent interview with a "Friday the 13th" fan site, Miller discussed the film's origins, saying, "First came the concept that we emulate 'Halloween.'" He explained that the initial inspiration came from an attempt to follow in the footsteps of John Carpenter's "Halloween," which had debuted two years earlier.
Miller recalled: "The title didn't come until the screenplay had already gone through at least one draft." He also described his reasoning for the film's setting: "The idea for the summer camp came from my instinct that we needed a location where young adults would be cut off from all adult help." He added, "The idea that Jason had died before the film began also came from the concept in 'Halloween' — that there is a prior evil — Michael Myers's murdering the babysitter."
The film went on to spawn one of the most recognizable and lasting franchises in horror, although Miller was not involved with the many sequels.
Television Career
Beyond "Friday the 13th," Miller wrote for several daytime soap operas, including "All My Children," "One Life to Live," "Another World," "Guiding Light," and "General Hospital." His work on "All My Children" helped the show win three Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series writing team.