Friday the 13th TV Show Crystal Lake Gets IT Prequel Showrunner

The Friday the 13th prequel series has picked up the showrunner of It: Welcome to Derry. Franchises like Friday the 13th and It are looking to streaming services to continue expanding their brands, with Peacock developing the Friday the 13th spinoff Crystal Lake, and HBO/Max creating It: Welcome to Derry. Bryan Fuller was originally set to be the showrunner of Crystal Lake but backed out in May. With the seat left open, A24 has turned to Brad Caleb Kane, who is pulling double-duty as the co-showrunner of the It spinoff. Kane will serve as creator, writer, and executive producer of Crystal Lake.

“From the moment I watched Jason Voorhees squeeze a guy’s eyeball out of its socket (in glorious 3D!) at the tender age of 8 years old, I knew my creative path was someday destined to converge with The Man Behind The Mask,” Brad Caleb Kane said in a statement. “Nothing defined my childhood more than growing up in the golden age of the slasher flick, and nothing’s defined the genre more than Friday The 13th. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to contribute a chapter to this iconic franchise, particularly with such fearless partners as Peacock and A24.”

Bryan Fuller comments on Crystal Lake departure

After reports that the Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake was undergoing some changes behind the scenes, Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) confirmed that he was exiting the project after A24 decided to take the show in a different direction.

“Adapting classic horror is something I have some experience with. These shows requre a vision that elevates and transforms, as well as delivers what audiences have come to expect, which is an ambitious and risky endeavor. It requires people to take the leap with me,” Fuller wrote.

“When it works, as with Hannibal, the results can be powerful for the storytellers and the audience. I couldn’t be more proud of the work my co-showrunner Jim Danger Gray and I were able to accomplish with our brilliant writing staff despite the challenges we faced,” Fuller added. “For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material. We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy.”

What is Peacock and A24’s Crystal Lake about?

Specifics regarding Crystal Lake are still unknown, but it will be the first major project to come from A24 that involves an outside franchise. It’s presumed the series will continue the adventures of Jason Voorhies, the hockey mask-wearing figure at the center of the multi-media Friday the 13th franchise.

Fuller had previously stated that “everything” from the feature films is on the table and able to be used, meaning grown-up, hockey mask-wearing Jason Voorhees can appear and not just the child version of the slasher killer.” He added, “We can go to Hell, we can go to space. That’s not to say that we will do those things … although if we do go 10 seasons, I will be lobbying hard to go to space.”

But with Fuller gone and Kane now at the helm, we have to wait and see what A24 and Peacock have planned for Crystal Lake.