Victor Miller, Friday the 13th screenwriter, dies at 86

Victor Miller, the screenwriter who created the original story for the 1980 horror film Friday the 13th, died on August 30, 2026, in Alameda, California. He was 86 years old. His death was confirmed by his son, Ian Miller, in a social media post on Tuesday, September 1. Miller's screenplay for Friday the 13th introduced audiences to Camp Crystal Lake and the tragic backstory of Jason Voorhees, whose drowning death precedes the film's events. The story centered on a group of young adults being stalked at the remote summer camp, with the killer revealed to be Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees, driven by grief and revenge.