The Canceled Horror Sequel Fans Finished 20 Years Later

The original Sleepaway Camp was an iconic 80s slasher film that was critically lauded by critics and audiences alike for its kills and its twisty story. While its sequels weren’t quite as popular as the original, they still did well and were well-liked by fans. By all accounts, there’s no reason that Sleepaway Camp 4 shouldn’t have happened.

Of course, sometimes external factors get in the way, which is exactly what happened with Sleepaway Camp 4. The film had already gotten pretty far, securing a cast and crew, finishing a script, and even starting the filming process. However, they only finished thirty-four minutes of footage when production was abruptly canceled due to the film’s production company, Double Helix Films, going bankrupt.

Naturally, fans were disappointed that Sleepaway Camp 4 never came to be, and many would have liked to see production continue. However, that doesn’t mean that fans gave up and that they weren’t eager to see the fourth film made. They were so eager, in fact, that they actually did make the film happen through some true ingenuity.

In 2002, fans stumbled upon a “survival kit” DVD release of the first three films in the franchise that included a special version with an exclusive fourth disc. That fourth disc contained the footage shot in Sleepaway Camp 4 before the production was halted due to financing issues. So, enthusiasts for the franchise came together by pulling stock footage from the first three movies and the thirty-four minutes of footage from the fourth disc to create the fifth film of the franchise.

The reason that Sleepaway Camp 4 is the fifth film in the franchise is because the original film’s director, Robert Hiltzik, actually made a film in 2008 called Return to Sleepaway Camp, which was a sequel to the first film. However, this film was intended as a sequel to his original that continued the story while erasing the events of the second and third sequels. Thus, the version put together by fans was actually the fifth film in the franchise, despite the four in the title.

Sleepaway Camp 4 is truly a work of fanmade willpower and dedication, as filmed scenes shot two decades before were finally put together into a coherent story to continue the beloved horror franchise. Horror fans really don’t mess around when it comes to the franchises they love the most. When there’s a chance that the franchise can continue, you can bet that they’ll campaign hard to make it happen – and maybe even make it themselves if it doesn’t come to fruition fast enough.