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'Friday the 13th' screenwriter Victor Miller dies at 86
Victor Miller has passed away at the age of 86

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

Sep 02, 2026
12:50 pm

What's the story

Victor Miller, the screenwriter behind the iconic horror film Friday the 13th (1980), has died at the age of 86. His son Ian confirmed the news to Variety. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1940, Miller is survived by his wife Tina Thurston Miller and two sons, Ian and Josh.

Film inspiration

Miller revealed 'Friday the 13th' was inspired by 'Halloween'

In a recent interview with a Friday the 13th fan site, Miller revealed that his iconic film was initially inspired by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978).

He had said, "First came the concept that we emulate Halloween."

"The title didn't come until the screenplay had already gone through at least one draft."

"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."

Franchise success

Other works of Miller

Miller's Friday the 13th went on to become one of the most successful horror franchises, though he wasn't involved in its sequels.

Apart from it, Miller also wrote for TV shows like All My Children, One Life to Live, Another World, Guiding Light, and General Hospital.

His work on All My Children helped it win three Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series writing team.

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