Freddy vs. Jason is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a crossover between the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series, being the eighth installment in the former and the eleventh in the latter. The film joins the two series in a shared universe and pits their respective antagonists, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, against each other. Freddy is weakened and forgotten because the citizens of his home town Springwood have defeated him by using medications that repress dreams. Freddy awakens Jason to stir up fear and grow his powers so that he may return and kill again. Jason turns out to not be as easily controlled as Freddy initially thought, and the two supernatural mass murderers come into conflict. The crossover film is chronologically set after Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and is the last film in each franchise before their respective reboots. Freddy vs. Jason was released in the United States on August 15, 2003. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed over $116 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in each series. The film marks Robert Englund's final cinematic appearance as Freddy Krueger. A sequel and crossover with the Evil Dead franchise was planned, but it was ultimately scrapped and turned into a comic book limited series, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and it's follow-up, The Nightmare Warriors. Plot Since his last defeat, Freddy Krueger has been in Hell and unable to invade children's dreams, as the adults of Springwood have gone to extremes to make sure their children have forgotten him. Using his remaining power, Freddy resurrects Jason Voorhees. Appearing as Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees, he manipulates Jason into killing the teens of Springwood to create fear in the townsfolk that Freddy has returned, which would allow him to regain his strength. Meanwhile, Lori Campbell, who lives with her widowed father, has a sleepover with her friends Kia and Gibb. They are later joined by Trey, Gibb's emotionally abusive boyfriend, and his friend Blake. Jason enters the house and murders Trey, and the police suspect Freddy. After a nightmare, Blake awakens to find his father decapitated by Jason, who then kills Blake himself. The police call it a murder–suicide the following day, hoping to conceal Freddy's return