'Friday the 13th' OG Creator Says New Flick Is in Development Phase

It's Friday the 13th ... so what better day to find out a new film in the popular slasher franchise may be on the way?!

Here's the deal ... there hasn't been a 'Jason' film in several years ... and we're told it's all been a matter of rights issues -- both between the two creators and two major studios. But it seems those issues will likely be resolved ... and a new film project is being crafted.

Franchise co-creator Sean Cunningham tells TMZ ... a film treatment for an "old school" Jason flick is done ... and he's hopeful that, with the mega-merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount, the project will gain serious traction because he says both studios have rights --and that's been a major hurdle.

The horror icon Cunningham tells us that he and franchise co-creator Victor Miller resolved their issues ... and he hopes the upcoming studio merger will take care of the other entanglement.

As for the new project ... Cunningham says the script needs a "young writer" because the heart of the series has always been "the fear of untimely death" -- and SC says he's too old to be worried about that these days. He also mentioned he's just a "cheerleader" for the project ... but anticipates being an executive producer -- if it happens.